Ol' Blue Eyes
by Lucky Meryl
Summary: Set in the year 1954. It's Roxas's 16th birthday. He got a new Sinatra record, a hot car...and polio. Now he's off to a clinic and he meets some interesting new friends and goes through some new experiences. Future AkuRoku and RikuxSora.
1. The Best is Yet To Come

Through the blinds a soft orange hue of sunlight seeped through, casting a morning glow on everything in the room. It was the first sign that promised a good day. A ball of blankets and hair lay in the old musty mattress unaware how close the alarm clock sat near it's head. A yellow light glowed inside the glass casing showing the roll of numbers that lay inside about to turn.

The first loud obnoxious buzz came as the clock changed from saying 6:59 to 7:00 with the fall of three flimsy paper digits inside. The second buzz was cut off as the boy, who had previously only been a mass of sheets and fluff, sat up in the bed sleepily, stretching his arms out lazily before climbing out of the bed.

He followed a somewhat daily routine, walking out of his room in his pajamas to get breakfast, not bothering to fix himself up beforehand. He scuffled his feet along the carpet and stopped at the steps, a somewhat gentle punch landing against his arm.

Instinctively, even though it didn't hurt, he held his forearm and turned to face the culprit. A man stood, his hair also blond and styled similar but with more harsh spikes. "Good morning, Cloud." The younger boy said in his soft, half asleep voice.

Cloud remained silent for a moment before smirking. "Did you forget what day it is?"

Looking up at his brother with a confused expression playing on his face, he said, "Friday?" When he gained no response except for his brother's arched eyebrow, he kept going. "The 15th of May?"

The two blonde boys stared at each other for a moment before Cloud spoke again. "It's the 17th, Roxas."

Roxas thought for a moment, recounting the days in his head. His eyes widened as he realized that his older brother was right. "It's my birthday!"

Cloud laughed lightly and walked past his brother and down the stairs. "Stupid." Roxas glared at him but shrugged if off as he made his way downstairs as well.

Their mother greeted them at the kitchen stove. "Good morning, boys! Happy Birthday Roxas!" Cloud sat down at the four-person kitchen table with not a word as Roxas sat down on the other side, grinning brightly. "So I suppose for your sixteenth birthday you're expecting a car?"

Roxas grinned wider, his eyes sparkling with joy. "Really, Mom?"

His mother laughed lightly. "You'll have to wait until after school to see when your father gets home." The boy bounced giddily in his seat, watching as his mother placed a healthy stack of pancakes on his plate and another on Cloud's. "Now eat up and go get ready for school."

Yes. Today was a good day. It was a Friday, Roxas's sixteenth Birthday, and just overall turning out to be a good day. Like it should be. Today he went to classes and he was told "Happy Birthday" by all of his friends and classmates. His friends Hayner, Pence, and Olette got him presents like they did every year and as he did for them. Hayner had gotten him a new football in hopes that they could play together during the weekends. Pence had gotten him the new Frank Sinatra record he'd been waiting on. And Olette got him a fancy new yo-yo and a book of tricks that he could learn. And, even though he didn't much enjoy yo-yo-ing or playing football, he hugged his friends and thanked them politely.

It was a normal birthday, and Roxas was a normal kid with a normal life. He was part of a normal family and had normal hobbies. He had normal obstacles and normal wealth. And like everyone's normal birthdays should be, it was a good day.

Roxas practically skipped through the door, first looking around for his dad, then realizing he wasn't there and taking his place on the bottom stair in front of the door. His brother had driven him home hopefully for the last time, seeing as though he was hoping for a new car that he could drive home in every day after that.

Finally his dad got home. "Dad!"

"Hey, Rox. Happy birthday!" His father gave him a warm smile as his mother and Cloud walked in the room with them. "Ready to see your new car?"

Roxas jumped up. "Yeah!" And with that he followed his dad outside to see the most beautiful car he'd ever imagined sitting in their front driveway. It was a brand new 1954 Chevrolet Sedan, black, with a shiny silver stripe playing along the side giving it more of a glimmer. Roxas's dream car.

As his father proceeded to explain everything about the automobile, the blonde boy was admiring every curve and feature and design of it. He got in and sat down. "Cost me $900." His father said next to him. He held out a set of keys to Roxas. "Start it up, buddy."

Roxas grinned and grabbed the keys eagerly from his father's hand, slowly sliding the main key into the ignition. Roxas turned the key, listening as the engine roared to life. He looked at his dad once again. "Can I take it for a drive around the block?"

"It's your car. Go ahead."

He grinned again and shut the car door, turning to the wheel. He switched the car into reverse and started to move his leg.

A minute and a half later and the car was still parked in the driveway.

"What are you waiting for, Roxas?" Cloud said, getting in the passenger seat.

Roxas looked at him with a grave expression on his face. "My leg won't move."

Cloud looked at his brother strangely. "What do you mean?"

"I mean...I can't move my leg."

Cloud jumped out of the car, telling his parents what was going on as he moved to Roxas's side and opened the door. The older brother kneeled and pulled Roxas to the side, examining his legs. They were completely limp. He pinched the skin, hearing Roxas yelp in pain.

Their father loomed over them as their mother ran inside to call an ambulance, though rationality would suggest that they drive them to the hospital themselves. Never the less, they all made it, all scared and all wondering what had made that day go so wrong.

Numerous needles and tests as well as the sympathetic looks Roxas was getting from nurses scared him. His legs were completely limp and the lack of control was moving up his hips by the time they reached the hospital. He felt dizzy, but he wasn't sure whether it was from panic or illness. And perhaps it was the bright lighting in the hospital that distorted his vision.

His mother sat next to him, her hand firmly wrapped around his in attempts to comfort him, but to no avail. By the doorway his father stood, hands in his trouser pockets and tapping his foot anxiously. Cloud sat in the chair behind their mother, his eyes refusing to meet Roxas's for fear that he was right about what was ailing his brother.

The blonde boy laid nervously in the bed as his shoulders began to go limp as well. He said nothing, hoping deep down inside that if no one said it, it wasn't real. All four of the family members waited silently, nail biting, foot tapping, or just plain worrying before a doctor had arrived to confirm their fears.

By the time the doctor arrived, Roxas was limp from the neck down. Right as the man stepped through the doorway, he was mentally interrogated with the stares of the worried family. He strummed his fingers along the back of his clipboard and looked through the papers one last time before finding his ability to speak.

"Roxas has tested positive for poliomyelitis."

Roxas laid in the bed, staring at the ceiling, unsure of what to think, too many thoughts going through his head already for him to comprehend. _Poliomyelitis...polio. I have polio? I can't have polio! Polio is something normal kids don't get! I'm a normal kid! I just have...I have... a really bad cold! This is all wrong!_

Roxas had heard about polio from school. It was a national pandemic that killed many and paralyzed countless others. They were still working on a vaccine for it. A few people from his school had gotten it and the school had to take extremes to keep it from spreading. The former president, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, had it**(1)** and it paralyzed him. How was it that Roxas had gotten something so rare?

"How?" Cloud was the only one with enough guts to actually speak after such a declaration. "How did he get it?"

The doctor sighed again in the way that made Roxas cringe inside. "Polio is transferred through fecal-oral transmission and the body is very sensitive to any cell of the virus that it comes in contact with. So one infected person may not have washed their hands well enough, and it could be enough to have caused it to spread. The signs may not have appeared on the person who spread it yet."

The paralyzed boy thought for a moment before speaking in a voice he just realized was getting weaker. "Could it be from when I went swimming in the pond?" His voice was barely above a whisper.

"Possibly."

"What do we do?" His father said, his voice holding a tone Roxas had never heard before. It was the deepest of fears in a vocal expression.

"There are treatments. Some we can give you here, but for better treatment there is a clinic for polio patients that I would recommend in Georgia." He flipped through his papers again, seemingly looking for nothing, as if it were a nervous habit for him. "It's called the Roosevelt Warm Springs Institute for Rehabilitation."

"Georgia?" This time it was his mother. "But that's so far away..."

"It's up to you. I recommend the clinic, because of the better treatment and it can contain the virus."

As his mother and the doctor talked more about the clinic, Roxas thought back on what was going on. He had polio. He was paralyzed from the neck down, and he may die. Wait a second...he may die. Death. That word suddenly plagued his thoughts. He could very possibly die before he ever got to drive his car. Before he ever saw his friends again. Before he graduated. And he was possibly about to move across the country, alone, to get treatment for what was possibly going to kill him.

"I want to go to the clinic."

His mother shut up. His father looked at him, and Cloud kept his eyes on the floor. The doctor was the only person who responded. "Are you sure?"

"I want to go to the clinic." Roxas repeated, his voice a little softer but at the same time with a little more assurance in it. He wanted to make sure that no one he knew was going to get what he had. Even if that meant he may never see them again.

"Roxas. You really want to go?" His father said with a false courage held in his voice.

Roxas nodded, giving his dad the bravest look he could muster from his position.

His father sighed and looked back at the doctor. "When does he leave?"

His father, mother, and the doctor, then made arrangements for Roxas's move to Georgia. The helicopter would air lift him to the clinic, and his parents would meet him there with some of his things a few weeks later when they could muster up the money to get a plane ride down there. He would be rooming with two other polio patients and receive tutoring and treatment while he was there.

He had three days left before he was leaving his home town, his friends, and his family behind. Happy Birthday Roxas. You have a new album, a car, and polio.

* * *

**_1._**_ Franklin Delano Roosevelt was paralyzed by Guillain-Barre' Syndrome but at the time it was believed that he was paralyzed by polio._

_**Note: **__So Roxy-poo got polio. How's that for a bad birthday? Yeah, I like this storyline. If it has good feedback I may change character names and actually make it my own story. Like...a real story. Yeah. Maybe..I researched SO much about polio, the 1950's, pop culture, and everything that I could for this story. You have no idea. Someone, quiz me on polio. I dare ya. _

_Okay Umm...thanks for the help Demy-kins, and Roxy-poo my RP friends...and Enpii!! Danke danke meine freundin. Ich liebe dich!! Und ich sprachen zie deutch ja ja. Tchusse!_

_That's enough German for now. Okay. Bye bye!_

_Meryl is so lucky..._


	2. Dear Little Boy Of Mine

_**\Chapter 2: **_**Dear Little Boy of Mine**

Roxas learned many things about his illness in the next few days. First of all, he had spinal polio, which lead to a paralytic illness in his spine that he may or may not come out of. Second, hydrotherapy is painful.

Every day, Roxas suffered through a physical therapy session called hydrotherapy. He was placed in a hot tub of water and it felt like his skin was being boiled off. They'd set him in the water and stretch his legs and arms farther than he'd ever dream they could stretch. He felt like he was a rubber man. All of this was supposedly the way he'd learn how to walk again...but so far it had only been extremely painful and, frankly, quite pointless.

His parents came to see him every day, talking to him, encouraging him in every way that was humanly possible. Roxas didn't get to see Cloud much, he normally sat just out of Roxas's view and barely said a word. When Cloud did say something, it was as if nothing was wrong in the first place.

His friends came once. Hayner looked as though he didn't know what to say. Olette avoided the subject. And Pence tried to crack a few jokes, not always about his condition, but none of them were very funny at all. None the less, seeing his friends made him feel a little better. They all three got tested for polio while they were at the hospital, and all three were tested negative. Roxas was relieved, to say the least.

Every day in the hospital worked up to the day that Roxas would have to leave. His blonde hair was no longer gelled up the way he liked it, and the hospital gown was not his particular choice in clothing style, but still, he'd rather have stayed there than have to go all the way to Georgia. The only thing keeping him from changing his mind, was the fact that if he stayed, it could spread to his family or any of the doctors in the hospital. He could only imagine, however, how the clinic would treat him compared to the hospital staff. Would they be nicer? Meaner? Colder? Warmer? He had no clue...but he wasn't too eager to find out either.

Three days after Roxas arrived, it was time to leave. Just as promised, there was a helicopter waiting on the roof. And, though inside Roxas had actually wanted to have been able to ride in one since he was a boy, it was not under these conditions. His mother looked at the, what could be called, transportation and grimaced. She thought that it looked both unsafe and quite scary. And that ...thing would be carrying her son across the country.

His father gave him a hug and a quick peck on the forehead and smiled. "I'll see you soon." Roxas smiled back, but said nothing, afraid that if he did have a voice, he would be losing it into a sobbing fit afterwards.

Cloud patted his brother on the shoulder, a silent way of saying "Get better soon." Roxas fought back crying for his mother's sake as she kissed him on the cheek and brushed her fingers through his hair. He was then harshly lifted from the hospital bed and into the helicopter. The lift from the ground startled him. There were so many things that he couldn't do before he left. He couldn't hug his mother, or shake hands with his father like a man would. He couldn't hit his brother jokingly. He couldn't even wave goodbye. He had just hoped that they had accepted his silent farewell as more than just misty eyes.

The inside of the helicopter scared him. It was loud, and cramped and he didn't feel safe at all. The way the machine tilted as it moved made his heart jump. With all his might he wanted to just grab on to the sides of the, what is called, bed and hold on for dear life. He fell asleep about an hour after the take off, and slept the rest of the way there. Dreaming of, instead, driving his new car.

When Roxas woke up, he was being wheeled into a new room. The helicopter men were already gone and it was two nurses and a blonde haired doctor that were pushing him across what he thought was the clinic. He looked up at them, but didn't say a word. They weren't looking down, so they didn't notice he was even awake.

Finally, he was lifted from the gurney to a hospital bed. "Ah you're awake."

Roxas looked at him and nodded, probably the only movement his body could do.

The doctor picked up Roxas's limp hand and shook it before dropping it back onto the bed. "My name is Dr. Vexen. I'll be here every day to check your vitals and your progress after therapy."

Roxas nodded again.

"Do you not speak?"

"A little." he said, going against his non-existent vow of silence.

"Mhm. Well, this is your room. You are room 213 bed B. You have two room mates. This is Sora." as he introduced the first boy he walked over to a bed with a brunette laying in it. The one now known as Sora smiled and waved eagerly.

Dr. Vexen moved along and walked back across the room, past Roxas's bed, to the third bed in the room. "And in bed C is Riku." A silver haired boy waved nonchalantly before laying back as if he were falling back asleep. As the doctor made his way back to the middle bed he said, "Boys. I'd like you to meet Roxas. Your new room mate."

Roxas nodded his head at the two boys, signaling that he could not move, and both of the boys understood. "Well, Roxas, I guess I'll see you in the morning." as that was said, the doors were closed behind the blonde doctor, and the three boys were left alone.

"You're really quiet." The brunette stated bluntly. Roxas looked at him curiously as he continued. "Why?"

"I just don't like to talk if it's not necessary." The blonde answered.

"I like him." the silver haired boy said. "He has a good philosophy." And he smirked.

"Fine. I'll be silent too." Sora said, closing his mouth tightly after the last word.

Riku laughed heartily. "You won't last a minute."

"Shut up!"

"Told you."

Roxas smiled at the too, finally, more kids his age.

"So Roxas," Riku started, pulling the blonde boy from his thoughts. "How old are you?"

"I turned 16 three days ago."

"When were you diagnosed?" Sora said from the other side of the room.

"Three days ago."

"Ouch." the other two said in unison.

"Polio for your birthday? That bites."

"Sora, what did I say about thinking before you speak?"

Roxas laughed. "How long have you two known each other?"

"Sora and I met when I came here about two years ago. He's been here for a while though."

Sora grinned. "6 years and counting."

"And you're happy about that?" Roxas said a bit colder than he would have liked.

"Well..." Sora started, keeping the smile plastered on his face. "Sometimes...you either have to smile and laugh about it...or cry." He giggled lightly. "And I choose to be the optimist."

"And there are few of those around here." Riku stated. "He's probably the happiest one in this whole facility. Except for a few of the staff members."

"So, Roxas." The blonde looked back to Sora. "What kind do you have?"

"Spinal."

"Ah...so that's why you aren't moving."

"Sora." Riku said sternly. "Pardon him, he knows not what he...well...he knows nothing."

"Hey!"

Roxas laughed again. "What kind do you two have."

Sora stopped yelling at Riku and turned back to Roxas. " I have bulbospinal polio."

"And I have spinal, like you." Riku mentioned. "Don't worry. A few weeks of hydrotherapy and you'll start moving again."

"But you're a fast healer too, Riku."

"Optimism, Sora."

"Right...you can do it, Roxas!"

The blond boy in bed B couldn't help but laugh at the many escapades that had already gone on between his two room mates, and he was already aware that there would be many more.

Riku smiled softly. "So anyways, welcome to the Roosevelt Warm Springs Institute for Rehabilitation." He laughed. "It has a certain ring to it, doesn't it?"

Roxas laughed. "Yeah. I'll try to remember that."

Sora smiled at the boys. "Axel will be here in the morning. It's Sunday so he didn't come today."

"Who's Axel?"

"He's our tutor. For this room at least. A lot of the patients go to the class room and are taught by Xemnas, but since Sora can't walk, he has a tutor, and they let me go ahead and stay in my bed since there's no point in me having to go all the way in there when I can sit in here and have a lesson. You'll be able to stay too."

Roxas nodded. "And is Axel, nice?"

"For the most part." Riku responded. "He's a smart ass, pardon my french, but he's a nice guy."

Roxas nodded. "And therapy...is it still painful?"

Sora shrugged. "It's not for me."

"Not for me either. Did you get the tub treatment at the hospital?"

The blond nodded again. "How do they do it here?"

Sora answered. "Demyx is our therapist. He uses hot rags...well..more like really really warm rags on our bodies if we are in bed ,but he may put you in a tub of warm water and he'll stretch you until you say stop."

Roxas nodded, that sounded much better than laying in a tub of boiling water and stretching the muscles in his thighs as if they were taffy. Roxas tried to think of a question that would keep the conversation going, but as he did a new figure stepped into the room.

A taller young man maybe in his early twenties looked at Roxas, one of his eyes covered up by his silvery hair and the other a piercing blue. "Roxas?"

Roxas nodded. "Yeah."

"My name is Zexion. I am your psychiatrist. If you need anyone to talk to, you can talk to me." Though the words were meant to be comforting, the man's voice was not.

"If it helps you can call him Zexy!" Sora said, brightening up the room with his joyous voice.

Roxas stifled a laugh as Zexion gave a blank look to Sora and then looked back at Roxas. "If you ask for me, I'll come back. It was a pleasure to meet you." He bowed and then left without another word.

Riku laughed as the door closed behind him. "He seems cold but if you need to talk to someone like that he listens. He won't say much, just listen...and write. Perhaps give you a few words if you deserve them."

Roxas nodded, giggling. "Is there anyone else I should know about?"

Sora nodded. "Yup! Luxord is our activities director, he may come in and ask how something went such as a film we watched or a game we played." He thought. "Then Marluxia is the guy that does all the decorations. He likes floral designs if you can't tell." With that he motioned to the floral wallpaper flowers on each night stand. "There's also Larxene, she does electrotherapy, but you probably won't have to meet her."

Riku took over. "There's also Xaldin and Xigbar, they do sports with those who are capable. Then there's Lexaeus, the security guard in the front. You'll meet him, but he is kind of scary looking."

"Very scary looking...huge." Sora said with wide eyes.

Riku laughed. "Yeah yeah. Anyways, last but not least is Saïx, the teacher's assistant." Riku hushed down to a whisper. "Between you and me, I think he has a thing for the teacher, Xemnas."

"I thought Xemnas was a guy." Roxas looked at him, confused.

"Yeah...so?"

Roxas just stared off for a moment, stunned at the thought that a man could have a crush on another man. He'd heard of it, but never actually considered it. It was a foreign thought to him.

"I'm sleepy." Sora broke the awkward silence in the room

"It's like...7 o'clock though." Roxas said oddly."How can you be tired so early?"

Riku laughed. "It's called a time zone. It's 10 o'clock now."

"Oh." He nodded. "I'm a little tired too...big day..."

"I know the feeling." Riku responded. "Good night Sora."

The only response gained was a soft snore from their roommate, who'd already drifted off to sleep.

"Good night Roxas."

"Good night." Roxas said, laying his head back. "How do I get someone to come in here and lay my bed down?"

Riku turned and looked at Roxas, who was sitting up in his bed from the position he was in. "I'll get it." And he climbed out of bed, weakly.

"I didn't know you could walk."

"Yeah...for the most part. I get tired a little easier than I used to, but I can walk fine." He walked slowly over to Roxas's bed and sat down in the chair next to it. As he breathed slowly, he reached over and latched onto the bed crane, letting the head of the bed down slowly. "Good?" He said as he stopped.

Roxas nodded. "Thanks."

"No problem. Sleep well." And he climbed back into bed.

"I'll try." Roxas laughed lightly. "You t..." he started, but Riku was already asleep, apparently exhausted by the simple activity that he'd just performed. Roxas whispered once more as he fell asleep. "Good night."

* * *

"GOOD MORNING ROOM 213!!!"

Roxas jerked awake, his head possibly popping as he looked up at a red haired man with bright green eyes.

Sora groaned and waved. "Good morning, Axel."

Riku waved sleepily, mumbling an inaudible greeting to the man.

"Good morning Sora, Riku...ah it seems we have a third student today." Axel walked over to the bed, sitting down in the seat next to the bed. "What's your name?"

"Roxas." He said, still in shock at the rude awakening.

Axel grinned. "I'm Axel, I'll be tutoring you until you get out of this place. Or until he does." He said, pointing to Sora. "Because then you'll have to learn from Xemnas." At the mentioning of the name, the red head made a gross face. 

"So!" Axel said, clapping his hands together and making his way to the front of the room. "Lets get started, shall we? Who did their homework?"

* * *

**_Note:_**_ So yeah, chapter two is up. I'll give all my kudos to the person who can guess the theme of my chapter titles. Seriously. Okay? So that's my contest_

_Please tell me what you thought of this chapter. I had a grand total of 3 reviews and 6 author alerts for the first chapter. I do appreciate all of the additions to my statistics on this story, but reviews and constructive criticism encourage me to write more than ...well...barely anything. XD Well I love you all, thanks for reading. I hope this story is original enough for all of you. I 'd yet to see something like this...set in a different time period...a hospital fic other than mental institution...and especially a polio fic so I feel very original._

_Oh and yes, I have put a LOT of research into everything in this story. I understand that there my be some mistakes in my facts, but for the most part I believe I am historically and medically correct. So for the most part you can trust me. The only thing I couldn't actually find out was when helicopters were used for medical transportation, so if I'm wrong, I am sorry._

_Well my prom is Saturday. I hope I look gorgeous. If you ever go to my myspace you'll see pictures of it later. If not...well..you suck. Juuust kidding. I lurve you all. Tata for now! Much love to you all...damn this was a long authors note. Okay bye!!_

_Meryl is so lucky..._


	3. Luck Be A Lady

_**Note:**__ I'm SO sorry that this took so long to do. I had writers block, and then it went away, and then it came back, and finally it went away again and I had prom, and a band trip, and graduation and work and blaaaahhh. So yeah. I'm finally done with chapter three which is dedicated completely to __**SESSHOMARUHASAFLUFFYTAIL **__(which he does, by the way) The theme to this story as far as titles and chapters go, is Frank Sinatra, thus forth a million kudos to you, Sessh and here's the newest chapter._

* * *

_**Chapter 3:**_** Luck Be a Lady**

Roxas learned many things about his surroundings within the first week of living there. First of all, Axel was weird. That was a topic all its own. Second, Riku and Sora were best friends in every sense of the phrase. Third, Demyx was a lot better of a therapist than the woman at the hospital. Lastly, the clinic was an okay place to live.

Axel was weird for many reasons. One reason being, that no matter what he was talking about–biscuits, his dog, his neighbor's car–every lesson was clear as crystal by the time he left and Roxas would lay motionless in his bed wondering how a moldy biscuit was the perfect example of the American Revolution.

Another thing Axel did, which in all honesty annoyed Roxas, was he woke the paralyzed blonde in such odd manners. One morning Roxas woke up to being nose to nose with the red-head, who at the time was straddling his legs. Roxas ended up almost head-butting the tutor until Axel dodged out of the way. It was moment like that Roxas wished he could lift his arm and punch his teacher square in the nose. Riku and Sora would always lay laughing in their beds at the scene.

Sora was sickly. Roxas figured that out on his second day at the clinic. Of all the patients at the center, Sora was one of the sicker ones. He could move only from the waist up, he had to stay on an oxygen mask when he slept, and he took what could be called a cocktail of pain and treatment medications. Sora would have an episode every other day where he'd have to take a nap in the middle of the day and lie in what the doctors called an iron lung in order for his lungs to learn how to breath again. Every time Sora was put inside the large metal tube, Riku sat next to him in his wheelchair all day.

Roxas had also come to find that no matter what, Sora and Riku were inseparable. And neither of them would have it any other way. Riku was the one to write Sora's homework for him when he was in the iron lung or when he was too tired to move on his own. Often times Riku did his homework all together, then he would get scolded by Axel the next day because somehow Axel always knew. Neither of the boys were ever angry at the other. It seemed to Roxas that Riku could barbecue Sora's left leg only to be asked for him to share with the boy the leg originally belonged to.

Roxas's legs were massaged every day by a man named Demyx. He was the hydrotherapist of the clinic. Every day after Axel left, Demyx would come in with a hotplate, a pot of water, and four rags. He'd plug in the hotplate, heat the water to a certain temperature that was the hottest Roxas could stand and no hotter, and let the rags soak. After that he'd lay two rags on each leg and let them sit until they almost cooled and he'd let them soak again as he massaged Roxas's legs carefully. This procedure was followed by a similar method used on his arms.

Demyx was odd in a similar way to Axel, only less obnoxious. He was always happy and optimistic, like Sora, and he was always eager and hyper. He always seemed like he was in a hurry, as if he was in a race against someone to have Roxas walk before someone else. Even so, he did it in an unimaginably happy manner. When Demyx was around, it was as if the whole world was forced to smile just because Demyx was.

Still, the most interesting thing to keep an eye on at the clinic, the one that kept Roxas entertained the most was Axel. Even though Roxas was annoyed by Axel every day in every way, Roxas couldn't help but like him. It was...unexplainable. He hated Axel so much for all the pestering the red-head did every day, but he could help but laugh at his antics. He still wanted to hit him though.

"So your homework tonight is to do math problems 31-51 on page 237 and do the four review questions in your history book for section 4-2. And Riku, do NOT do Sora's work this time, understand?"

"Yeah yeah." Riku shrugged off the last comment in what Axel had said and continued writing the assignment down on a piece of paper and stuffed it into his history book without further thought.

Sora saluted weakly at Axel. "Bye bye Axel."

Axel waved back. "Roxas. Do your homework tonight. You are getting graded, you know?"

Roxas yawned. "Yeah I know. I will."

"Bye guys!" Axel waved again, rolling his portable desk–also known as a rolling bookshelf–out of the room.

Roxas waited. It'd be about ten minutes or so before Demyx was to show up. Sora and Riku continued a conversation that he didn't bother to be part of, the different people walked past the doorways, then a man Roxas had come to know as Luxord, the activities director, came in. Roxas concluded, Riku had more from his parents, which wasn't odd seeing as though Roxas had a package from them every other week of candy, a new book, or something they hoped would help him "get well soon."

"Roxas." Luxord said, walking towards him. "You have a phone call."

Roxas jumped in his skin at the sound of his name. "Who is it?"

"Your brother. Hold on I'll get the phone for you." Luxord walked next to him and picked up the bedside phone and placed it between a pillow and Roxas's ear so that it was propped upright. "Riku will you hang it up when he's done?"

"Yes, sir."

"Cloud?" Roxas said, testing to make sure his brother was on the phone.

"Hey." Cloud seemed as apathetic as ever. "How are you?"

"Same." Roxas replied. "I'm no worse though."

"That's good. How is the clinic?"

"I like it. I have some...interesting friends. My room mates are the only normal ones in this place. I can't wait until you three visit and you get to meet them."

Cloud laughed emptily. "Yeah...about that."

Roxas felt his heart sink at the uncertainty in Cloud's voice. "You can't come can you?"

"Well no that's not it. We are going to get to visit next month. We're taking a greyhound. It's just...well...bus tickets are expensive, you know that, right?"

"Yeah." Now Roxas was very confused.

"Well...umm...dad didn't have the heart to tell you himself but. Roxas...we had to sell your car."

There was silence on both ends of the line for several seconds before Roxas took a deep breath. "It's okay."

Cloud sat shocked for a few moments. "Really?"

With a forced strength in his voice, Roxas responded. "Yeah. I'd...probably never be able to drive it anyways."

"Don't talk like that Roxas. You're going to be good as new soon." Cloud said, sounding somewhat angry.

"Yeah." Roxas was silent for a second, letting the conversation settle in his head before he decided that there was nothing more to say. "Cloud, I have to go."

"Mom and Dad wanted to talk to you."

"I don't feel up to talking right now. I'm tired, and my physical therapist is here." He wasn't completely lying. Demyx was waiting for him, and he didn't feel like talking.

"Oh. Okay. Bye."

"Bye." And the other end was silent. Roxas heard the click, signaling that Cloud had hung up and he turned his head, letting the phone fall down and hang over the bed railing by its cord. Before he could ask Riku to get the phone and hang it up, Demyx had already gotten it.

"Anything wrong?" Demyx asked, plugging in his hotplate and getting the water ready.

"Nothing." And with that, Roxas plastered on a fake smile, hoping to fool his new companions.

Demyx smiled back. "Well, then lets get to it."

* * *

One month later, and Roxas still wasn't over the loss of his car. 

"It's just a car. You can get a new one when you get out of here." Riku said, trying to calm the blonde boy.

"But it was my first car! I never got to drive it!"

"Would you rather they not ever come and visit you?" Sora looked at him with innocent eyes.

"No. I just...why couldn't they sell something else?"

"Tickets are expensive, the car probably isn't the only thing that they sold." The silver haired room mate yawned as he finished his statement. "It's 11 o'clock. Can we get to sleep? It's parent day tomorrow, I'd like to have a little energy."

"Yeah." Roxas said in defeat. "Good night." His words were harsher than he meant, but he didn't care.

"Night." Sora's voice was ever happy, despite Roxas's negativity. "Good night, Riku."

Riku waved. "Night." As Roxas turned his head to the wall and Sora covered himself up, Riku cut off the lamp beside his bed, causing the room to be enveloped in darkness.

For the first time since he'd arrived, Roxas woke up late. It was almost noon. He looked around the room. No Axel. Sora was awake and reading, Riku wasn't anywhere to be seen. "Where's Axel?"

"He will come after visiting hours and give us a quick lesson today. At about 6-8. Then we go to bed. It's parent day." Roxas nodded. That's right. Parent day. When all the families would come and visit.

"Where's Riku?"

"His parents took him out for the day. They do that once month that way he's not cooped up in here all the time."

"Oh." Roxas was stilled for a moment more before asking, "Where are your parents?"

Sora was silent. His eyes stopped moving but he didn't put the book down, hoping Roxas would still think he was reading. "My parents won't be coming."

And that was the end of the conversation. Immediately Roxas assumed that Sora's parents were dead, but he didn't ask. It probably wasn't something Sora liked to talk about.

The awkwardness in the air was thick and almost choked Roxas. He wanted to find something to say to break the silence, but his mind was in such a hurry that he couldn't bring his thoughts to words. Finally, Luxord came to the rescue.

"Your parents are here, Roxas." Luxord said, holding his arm out to prop the door open.

Roxas nodded and watched as his mother walked through the door. Immediately she ran to the bed, enveloping Roxas in a hug as his brother and father walked next to him, his father smiling warmly. Cloud patted Roxas on the shoulder as a silent acknowledgment of a hello. Roxas laughed lightly as his mother finally let go of him and broke the silence. "Hi, Mom."

"How are you feeling, baby?" She asked, holding his hand tightly in her own. "Are you any better?"

"I'm no worse." He laughed again. "Hi Dad. Cloud."

His father gave him a smile and Cloud sent him a nod. "Son, I'm sorry about your car." His father said, breaking an awkward silence that was about to occur.

"It's okay. It'd just be rusting in the driveway anyways." Roxas said, a smile forcefully plasterd on his lips.

"Nonsense. You'll be out of here before you know it, Rox." With that statement, his father slapped him encouragingly on the shoulder. Encouragement hurt.

"Dad. I can't even move and I've been here for over a month. Let's face it, I'm gonna be here for a while." Roxas laughed nervously.

"Roxas don't talk like that." His mother said, interrupting her husband before he had the chance to speak. "You have to think positive."

Roxas lost his grin. "What is there positive to think about?! I'm paralyzed, mom! I have a deadly virus, and annoying teacher that I can't even hit, and I can't even feed myself! I'm sixteen and wearing a diaper and the one thing I wanted to heal for is gone. So please...tell me something positive to think about."

The room was awkwardly silent. Roxas continued glaring at them all. His mother and father both looked away. Cloud only glared right back before breaking the silence with his own response. "You're alive."

Roxas glared for a moment longer. "Big whoop." He looked away muttering. "I kind of wish I wasn't."

"Roxas!" His mother and father gasped. All three family members were staring at him in awe now. His mother was speechless, father in shock, and brother enraged.

"Roxas." Cloud said with a town the younger had never heard. "You're alive. You're healing. Be grateful. Look around you, Rox. There are kids older, younger, and a lot worse off than you. You're alive when so many already have died. So many will die soon. You're lucky, Roxas. People here are fighting for their lives. What are you fighting for?"

Roxas couldn't bring himself to face his family. He knew what he'd said was immature and over the line. He'd been acting childish and treated them wrongly, but he'd suddenly once again lost his ability to speak.

Axel walked through the door at that moment in his ever so chipper mood. "Visiting hours are over, I'm sorry."

Out of the corner of his eye Roxas saw his parents nod. Cloud walked out while his mother leaned over and gave him a kiss on the cheek and his father patted him on the shoulder once more. They both muttered their "I love you"s and goodbyes and Roxas watched them as they left.

"Have a good day, Roxy?" Axel asked, using the nickname he'd created for the boy. When Roxas only glared, he backed down. "Heh...well we have about two hours before the lesson starts, so take a nap if you want. It's been a big day, so I understand if you're tired."

Roxas nodded. He was tired. Just as the red head left, he closed his eyes and fell asleep. Little did he know how angry he'd still be when he woke up...especially when Axel had smelling salts shoved up the blonde's nose.

Roxas coughed and sneezed and everything else when Axel and his roommates laughed. When all of the salts were out of his nose, he glared at the red head to his right. Axel leaned down until he was nose-to-nose with Roxas for the hundredth time. "Aww, don't pout at me like that, Roxy. It was just a joke."

The blond glared at him more, imagining himself punching the tutor in the nose, like he'd always wished he could do in reality.

Suddenly, Axel jumped back, holding his bloody nose in shock. Roxas looked at his stinging right hand, which was still raised in the air as a fist. He'd actually hit Axel. "I hit him." He whispered before laughing. "I hit him! Right in the nose! I hit him!" It seemed Roxas was more excited about hitting his teacher than he was with his ability to move.

"You hit me! You can move!" Axel said, strangely excited while holding his nose.

"I can move!" Roxas was even more eccentric now. "I can move! And I hit you!"

* * *

_**Note: **__So once again I'm terribly sorry for the long wait, please review, please pass this story around, and please love it. I worked really hard on this. So I hope you enjoyed it! Many hearts to you all_

_Meryl is so lucky..._


	4. I've Got You Under My Skin

_**Chapter 4: I've Got You Under My Skin**_

"You can move." The blonde doctor paced his way around the room. "This is a great achievement, Roxas. But it only means that your therapy has just begun."

Roxas eyed him oddly. Why was he talking so gloomily? "I know, Dr. Vexen," he said just to please him. "I have a long way to go."

Vexen nodded but continued pacing. "Yes indeed, a long way to go. Right Demyx?"

Demyx nodded but kept a brilliant smile on his face. "But you can move your arms! You know what else that means?"

Roxas smiled back. "What?"

"High five!" With that statement Demyx held up his right hand with a opened mouthed grin plastered on him.

Roxas laughed and returned the hand slap before putting his hand back down. At that point he was eager to use his arms for anything just to prove to himself that he really could move them. He had waved to each person that passed their door and scratched places that didn't itch. He even offered to do Sora's homework for him, but of course, that was Riku's job.

Axel hadn't seemed upset at all about being punched by Roxas. He was more concerned about the fact the blonde moved. Which, of course, so was Roxas. Roxas later apologized for it, but that didn't mean he actually felt bad. In fact, Roxas felt great. He'd been wanting to do that for a long time. And finally he was given the will to do so.

The thing Roxas did feel bad about, however, was how he treated his family. They'd gotten in late and only stayed for a couple hours and most of it was spent with him arguing, yelling, or being a stubborn child. Everything just sort of came as a shock to him. He believed, that when he turned 16, he'd get his license, drive to school every day with a big grin on his face. He'd drive his friends to the soda fountain in town or perhaps take a girl on his first date to the drive-in movie theater.

However, all of the expectations that he had for himself were taken away when he was diagnosed. After that he just wanted to get better. He wanted to heal and get back to his life. His car was part of that life. How could any of those ideal things happen without it? He'd been fighting for his life, his family, and his car since he went into the clinic, but after his car, he figured he wouldn't have a life. And he was just angry at his family.

Sitting in that bed after Vexen and Demyx left, Roxas realized what an immature person he was that day. His family saved up the money to come and see him, and all he did was show off his temper. That's when he decided, he was going to use the hands he learned to move to call them. As soon as they were to get back home the next day.

Axel came in the next day with a small bruise on his nose and smiled. "Good morning!" Sora waved, Riku threw his hand out in an almost wave, and Roxas had the most eager greeting of them all. Yes. Even more hyper than Sora's.

Axel laughed at Roxas, who was still holding his hand up after Axel had already set up his material for the day. "Hello, Roxas. Did you do your homework?"

"Yup. All of it. I wrote it out all by myself." Roxas grinned brightly and was soon met by Axel's eager smile of the same eagerness.

"I'm sure you did." With that Axel ruffled his hair a little and went back to his books, opening up the English one first, as always. Just as Axel was about to speak however, Zexion walked in. "Uh...hi Zex. Can I help you?"

Zexion looked around the room. "I'm here to see Sora."

Axel nodded. "Right. Want me to help you get him into a chair?" He said, walking towards the two.

"Please."

Sora was so silent it worried Roxas as the two got him out of the bed and into a wheelchair. Riku didn't react at all, though, so he expected all of this to be normal for them. Sora waved back at his room mates as Zexion wheeled him away and Riku waved back.

"Now, if I can continue." Axel said, going back to his books. He opened his mouth to speak once more and was shoved by someone behind him. "Demyx. What do you want?"

Demyx laughed, filling the world with his happiness once again. "Sorry, Ax. I'm leaving early today so I need to take Riku now."

Axel nodded, exasperated, and waited for Demyx and Riku to leave. "I don't think there is any point in me teaching a new lesson of anything today. I'd just have to teach it again tomorrow." With that statement, he closed the books walked over and hopped onto the edge of Roxas's bed. "So is there anything you don't understand that you might want me to go over?"

Roxas shook his head. "Not really."

The red head shrugged. "Well...now I'm bored. Lets talk, Rox."

Roxas couldn't help but laugh a little at his childishness. "Talk about what?"

"Hmm...lets talk about...you."

"Me? That's hardly worthy of conversation."

"Nonsense. All lives are worth a conversation. Some are even worth a book, thus biographies." He said with a laugh.

Until then Roxas never really paid attention to Axel's laugh, but it was happy in the same sense that Demyx's was. The only difference was that Axel's was a lot warmer. His smile held a different flame to Demyx's. Demyx always just looked happy and eager in his smile. Axel looked playful and almost sneaky.

"So. What do you want to know about me?"

Axel thought for a moment, putting a finger to his chin and looking up towards the ceiling. Roxas laughed a little at the sight. "What are some of your favorite things to do?"

"Hmm...I guess one of my favorite things would be listening to my records. Or going out with my friends."

Axel smiled. "Music. That's my subject. Who do you like?"

"Uh...I guess some of my favorites are Tony Bennett, Frank Sinatra, Rosemary Clooney, The Chordettes, and a few others."

"Nice choices. So next question, you have any talents?"

"Not really. I mean, I sing in a boys choir. I'm pretty good at chess."

Axel snapped his fingers and slipped off the bed. "Then lets play chess!"

"Do we have to?" Roxas groaned, he was having a nice time with the tutor, then he wanted Roxas to use his brain again.

"Yes." Axel said, walking out the door. He came back moments later with a folded up checkerboard and two plastic bags each filled with chess pieces. "You're playing now." With that he pulled Roxas's eating tray over them and placed the board down on top of it, popping his knuckles. "I warn you, I'm pretty good myself."

Roxas scoffed at that, smirking slightly. "Whatever, weirdo. I'm white." He said, grabbing the white chess pieces out of the red-head's hand.

The tutor only shrugged it off, setting up his black pawns in the front row, his king, queen, rooks, bishops, and knights behind them while Roxas did the same. The blonde boy looked carefully even at his first move before placing a pawn where he wanted. Axel never seemed to think at all about any move and opened his game with a simple placement of a knight. "Who starts out by moving their knight?" Roxas said, looking at his opponent with a quizzical eye.

"Obviously I do." Axel grinned at Roxas and watched as the blonde's hand moved his next piece. "You still hate me Roxas?"

The sudden question puzzled Roxas. He put his pawn where he wanted and looked at Axel. He had to admit the inquiry took him by surprise and at first he didn't know how to respond. Finally he found words. "When did I say I hated you?"

Axel shrugged, not even looking at Roxas anymore as he moved his bishop. "You just seemed like you did."

"I don't. You just annoy me." The blonde answered simply, also averting his gaze back to the game.

Axel laughed. "Thanks. I feel so much better." And with that he took out Roxas's rook with his knight.

Roxas moved his bishop and took Axel's knight as a pathetic sort of revenge for taking his piece seconds before. "Well can you blame me? You're mean."

"I am not." Axel moved his queen. "Check. I just pick on you because you're cute."

Roxas moved his king out of the way. "How can you think a guy is cute?"

Axel opened his mouth to explain before moving his pawn just to waste time and stopping mid-word. "Never mind. You're too young to understand any of that."

That hit a nerve in Roxas. Too young. He was sixteen, he wasn't too young to understand anything. Axel was acting like he was five. "Now you have to answer me. I'm not a kid. I'll know what you are talking about." Down went Axel's queen under the power of Roxas's bishop.

Axel laughed in response. "You'll find out later, perhaps. Don't worry about it."

Something in Axel's laugh calmed Roxas. He couldn't be angry anymore, or even annoyed. Either way Axel moved his rook over and laughed again, this time causing an opposite effect. "Check mate."

Roxas looked down at the board suddenly, going over every move he could make, and found that Axel was right. He'd lost. With a final flick of the wrist, Roxas pushed his king over and declared a silent defeat. Roxas laughed lightly as well, the game had been more amusing than he thought it was going to be. "Rematch?"

Axel nodded and started setting his pieces up again with a brilliant smile on his face. Roxas looked up when he was done setting up his pieces and smiled back.

Roxas soon found himself unknowingly memorizing every feature on his tutor's face. Everything from the curve of the red-head's lips, to the odd shaped tattoos on his cheeks, to the indescribable shade of green held in Axel's eyes were embedded into the blonde's brain. Even the wild red hair that wouldn't suit anyone but him.

"Want a picture?"

The sudden statement threw Roxas from his subconscious and Roxas blinked back into reality. "What?"

"You were staring at me." Axel said with a laugh, ruffling Roxas's hair. "I was wondering if you wanted a picture so that you could look at me later."

Roxas laughed lightly as well. "Sorry. I zoned out for a second."

Another twenty minutes, another game played, and a new victor lying in bed. "Hah, told you I was good."

"So what, I beat you before."

"That was before I got warmed up." Roxas grinned, packing up his chess pieces.

Axel smirked. "Oh you think this is over?"

Roxas nodded. "Yup, because Riku's back."

"Dang." Axel ruffled his hair again, welcoming Riku in with a wave as Demyx rolled him in with a wheelchair. "Well finish this one day, Roxy." And with that, he put away the chess set and smiled. "I had fun today."

"Me too." The words left Roxas's mouth before he had the chance to think about them. Immediately he knew, however, that he would regret it.

"Then we're playing again tomorrow. And the next day. Until I don't annoy you anymore."

Oh yes, he definitely regretted it.

As Axel left the room, Riku climbed back into his bed, looking at Roxas oddly as Demyx followed his fellow employee through the door. "What did you guys do?"

Roxas laughed lightly. "We played chess."

"And you didn't hit him again?"

The blonde shook his head, laughing again. "No, I didn't hit him. Actually, we got along pretty well."

"You see?" Roxas looked to the door to see Sora being rolled back into the room by Zexion and then helped into the bed. Sora giggled a little. "We told you you'd learn to love him."

Roxas scoffed. "I get along with him, I wouldn't use the word 'love' just yet." He rolled his eyes, adding, "I wouldn't even use 'like' yet."

"You can't take pure loathing and change it to adoring in one day, Sora." Riku said, covering himself up with his blanket. "So Roxas, have you called your parents yet?"

Roxas froze. Oh yeah...his parents. He shook his head. "Who do I need to talk to about calling them?"

"Luxord." Sora responded before Riku opened his mouth. "You can call him with the button that calls a nurse."

Roxas nodded, pressing the button.

* * *

"Hello?" came a soft voice of the woman on the other end of the phone.

"Hey, Mom. It's me." Roxas was slightly scared as he spoke, afraid his mother was still upset.

A light gasp was heard over the phone. His mother replied in a bright voice. "Oh hi honey! How are you doing? Are you feeling alright?"

Roxas couldn't help but laugh a little. "Yeah Mom, I'm doing fine. Is Cloud around?"

"Yeah, hang on." Roxas heard his mother put the phone down on the table with a loud bang in his ear. He could imagine her yelling up the stairs, ruining her perfect woman facade. "Cloud! Your brother's on the phone for you!" And at that vision, he laughed lightly.

A muffled response of Cloud's voice was all Roxas could hear for a moment before his mother yelled again into the house. "Now!"

After a few moments of silence and some seconds of muffled grumbling, the phone was picked back up. "Hello?"

"Hey. It's me." Roxas readied himself for any negative comment that was bound to come his way.

"Still being depressed?" Cloud said coldly. In truth, everything Cloud said was in a cold manner, but Roxas knew when Cloud really meant to be. And this time, his brother was purposely cold.

Roxas shivered slightly at the sound of Cloud's response. "Uh...no. Actually, I wanted to apologize for acting the way I did." Cloud was silent, his way of telling him to elaborate. "I was a real jerk. I was petty and immature and all in all I was just acting like a child."

"You're right." Roxas winced inside at that. "But at least you are man enough to admit to it."

Roxas sighed. "So everything's good? Would you relay the message for me?"

"Yeah. Sure thing. Bye." Cloud hung up the phone after that in his normally cold manner. This time, however, it was the coldness he showed only to his family, and his friend Leon who used to come over a lot. It was...possibly only to be described as...a less cold, coldness.

Roxas laughed at his own wandering thoughts as he was wheeled from the conference room back into his hospital bed. He waved to his two new friend and smiled. "It's all good now."

And the two of them smiled back. Roxas nodded and thought to himself once more. _Everything's going good._

* * *

_**Note:**__ Hiii!! Sorry it took me soooo long to update. But It's finally here! A chapter 4...which at the point that I'm writing this is currently untitled. Sooo...I guess I need to get on that. I hope that you guys review lots. I am going on Thursday to Tampa to spend the weekend. I won't read my email until Monday but I hope that I am flooded with reviews. In case you're gonna be there, I'm going to Metrocon._

_At metrocon I am going to a Risembool Ranger dinner with THE Vic Mignogna (Voice of Edward Elric, Dark from DNAngel, Kurz Webber from Full Metal Panic, and Fai in the recently dubbed Tsubasa Chronicles.) I am also going to an Eyeshine Concert on Saturday night._

_If you happen to be going and wish to find me, Friday I will be wearing a Trigun T-shirt with a Wanted poster on the back. Saturday I will be wearing my Eyeshine T-shirt, hopefully. And Sunday I'll be wearing a Trigun Wolfwood shirt. Sorry...dun have the money, effort, or time to cosplay. Well I hope I get to see some of you there. Bye!_


	5. I Get A Kick Out Of You

_**Note:** I am going to apologize to anyone before you read this, just in case anyone reading this is very sensitive on the subject of race. This is NOT a racist chapter, but the subject of race is addressed in this chapter in a positive way. Just remember that this story is indeed set in the 1950's not in present day, so this subject did come along around that time._

_ **Chapter 5: I Get A Kick Out Of You**_

* * *

_  
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Unfortunately for Axel, the chess matches weren't as frequent as he'd hoped. They came once a month, after family day, when Riku was in physical therapy, and Sora was with Zexion. At each game within the next three month period, the two would ask more questions about each other and learn more and more about their opponent.

For example, Roxas learned that Axel had an older brother, who died of polio, which is what got Axel to help people with the same disease. At the time that knowledge scared Roxas, but after he saw one of the other patients walk out and go home, he knew that he'd have to fight to survive the disease, and being scared wouldn't help him.

Axel learned that Roxas had never had a girlfriend before. He'd been on dates, a few of them, but none of the girls he'd dated ever went with him again. Strangely enough, this little tidbit of information was easy enough for Roxas to say, as if he felt nothing about the girls he'd dated. That easy going attitude Roxas had about dating made Axel wonder about the blonde. What was it about the girls that Roxas couldn't get attached to?

Roxas also got to know a little more about Sora and Riku. Apparently Riku had an older brother as well, but the two weren't close. Sora had no siblings but he was close to some of his cousins. One of his cousins actually lived near where Roxas did. According to Sora, families in the south are very close. That was another thing Roxas learned. Riku was from Virginia, and Sora was from Tennessee. Roxas himself was from New Hampshire, so he wasn't used to their southern accents. Luckily their dialect wasn't strong.

Demyx's visits were becoming less frequent, Roxas discovered, as he was less needed. The more Roxas could do on his own, the less Demyx was needed. Vexen's visits however, were more often. Vexen would come in and check his heart, breathing, blood pressure, and take numerous tests within a three day period each month. Another reason the doctor would visit would be to check on Sora, which he'd do every day.

The blonde soon found himself getting used to the facility he was so afraid of. Since he was healing, he was anxious to go home, but at the same time he was kind of nervous to. He was getting attached to the people in the building. His closest friends were probably Riku and Sora, he'd met others while in activities each day, such as Kairi, who apparently had been going to school with Sora and got polio as well. He'd also met a man named Cid, who was an adult with polio. Cid slightly scared him though, because the man was so gruff in nature.

It seemed time was passing by in the clinic and before he knew it, Roxas had been in the Roosevelt Warm Springs Institute for Rehabilitation for six months. Roxas knew he wouldn't be able to go home yet, though, seeing as though he still couldn't walk. He could move his legs, but they weren't strong enough to hold him up yet. Even with a walker, his arms were to weak to support him where his legs couldn't.

Roxas had come to look forward to the monthly chess match with Axel. Each time he'd try his hardest to win, and sometimes he thought the red-head let him, but he didn't know why he would. More than that, he liked seeing the look of defeat on his tutor's face, as well as the look of concentration that the man would hold on his face throughout the game. Roxas couldn't help but giggle at Axel's proclaimed "game face."

One more month passed, and it was time for his monthly chess match. Roxas had waited for this, because he swore he'd beat Axel a fifth time in a row–including the past four games they'd played the month before–and Axel would owe him an out-of-facility meal. However, the man to come through the door at noon the next day after Sora and Riku had left the room, was not Axel. Instead, it was Luxord.

"Axel's sick today." Luxord said simply. "So he told me to take you out to the activities room so you could play chess with someone else."

Roxas nodded sadly, he didn't want to play with someone else, considering he'd just gotten used to Axel, but he shrugged it off and help Luxord get his weak body into a wheelchair. "Am I playing with Kairi? Or Cid?"

"Neither." Luxord pushed him into the day room where all the board and card games were kept. "You're playing with a newer patient, his name is John. I hope you won't mind."

Roxas shook his head. "No that's fine."

As the wheelchair stopped, Roxas looked at his opponent. Roxas held back the shocked look on his face as he took note of the boy. Roxas had never spoken, let alone played a game, with a boy of color before. His school didn't allow "blacks" to attend with him, and most places wouldn't allow the two types to associate at all.

"Hi. I'm John." The boy spoke. Roxas knew that he couldn't have been more than twelve or so. His toothy grin caused Roxas to smile as well. "You ain't used to a guy like me, are you?"

Roxas shook his head nervously.

"Well that makes two of us. I'm not used to a guy like you either." John laughed. "So do you wanna keep starin', or do you want to play chess?"

After being pulled out of his stunned state, Roxas laughed. "Lets play chess."

As the game started, Roxas tried to ignore the fact that the game they were playing, was actually a black versus white game. He couldn't help but choke a laugh at the irony. At the same time however, he kept wondering why he'd never been able to play a game like this with a kid like John before. People at school said that those "kinds" of people were nasty, and rude. And yet, John seemed clean, and he wasn't rude at all, in fact he was very nice. "I'm Roxas, by the way." The blonde opened up a few moves into the match.

John held his hand across the chess board. "It's nice to meet you Roxas."

Roxas shook his hand and wondered again. _What was so wrong with kids like John?_ The blonde didn't understand it. There was nothing wrong with John, he just had a disease just like Roxas did, so that wasn't anything to be discriminated about. John was very nice, and yet people were making such a big deal on the news, about black people being able to go to the same school as white people.

Roxas couldn't help but wonder, how would that mess up education? How would different kinds of people attending the same school change how students learned? It didn't make sense to him. Just because some new students were coming, it didn't make the "whites" stop reading, unless their attention span was so short that they get distracted by something with the slightest bit of difference.

None of the segregation and discrimination ever made sense to Roxas, but Roxas never dwelled on the subject before. Now, when playing chess with one of the people the government and so many people wanted Roxas to stay away from, he couldn't help but dwell on it. He kept thinking of different reasons why all of this conflict over race was just...well, the only word that came to mind was ignorant.

By the end of the third game, Roxas sighed in defeat. "You beat me, two out of three." He said. "Good game." He laughed and started putting the chess pieces away.

"Yeah it was." John put his chess pieces away as well. "And it was nice talking to you Roxas."

"You too." Roxas smiled, and questioned one more time in his head. _ What does color have to do with who a person is?_

Luxord took Roxas back to his room, where he greeted his awaiting roommates with a bright grin. "Hey guys. How was therapy."

"Eh." They both answered, waving off the blonde as they continued with whatever they were doing.

"I met a colored boy today." Roxas couldn't help but blurt out. He was so excited about the new "discovery" he had to tell someone.

Luxord laughed a little as he walked out the door, but Sora and Riku gaped at him. "You met one? Here in the clinic? I didn't know they let blacks in!" Riku said in shock.

Roxas nodded. "It was the first time I'd ever spoken to one. He was really nice. You guys would like him."

Riku shook his head. "My parents wouldn't like me hanging out with him. I'd probably get paddled for it."

Sora laughed. "I'll meet him next time we go to activities."

"How would your parents find out, Riku?" Roxas had to ask.

Riku shrugged in response. "I guess your right. So was he mean? Did he smell bad?"

"What? No! He was just like us, only he looked different."

Riku sighed. "Sorry. That's just what I'd heard."

"Me too." Sora said.

"I know. I did too, but he was really nice. He was really good at chess too. He beat me twice."

Riku laughed. "I guess I'll meet him too."

The three of them talked a little more about what happened that day, and finally Roxas got the courage to ask. "Sora? What happened to your parents?"

Sora looked at him, confused. "What do you mean?"

Riku was silent, also wondering the answer to Roxas's question.

"I mean...are they dead?"

Sora laughed. "No. They are alive and healthy."

Roxas sat in silence, trying to think of how to word what he wanted to ask next. "Then why don't they visit you any more? Riku said they used to but–"

"They just don't." Sora cut him off, averting his gaze to his note pad, where he'd been drawing. "They are mad at me, I don't expect to see them again."

Roxas was quiet after that. He wondered what Sora had done to make them angry, but at the same time, he knew that he couldn't ask. But obviously Riku could.

"How'd you piss them off?" The silver haired boy said, using his well known language skills.

"I...I told them something they didn't want to hear."

"What'd you say?"

Sora gave him a look. "I just...I just told them something. I'm not going to talk about it."

Riku silenced himself as well. He looked over at Roxas, who was looking cautiously at their other room mate. Sora was drawing, ignoring their presence. After a few seconds of silence, the two gave up asking any more questions on the subject, and moved on. "So I hear there's going to be a Christmas dance next month. Are you going, Roxas?"

Roxas nodded. "Yeah. I don't normally go to dances though."

"Me neither. How about you Sora? You going to the dance?"

Sora looked up at them with a fake smile plastered on his face. "Yeah. But I can't dance." He laughed.

Riku looked at Sora sadly and climbed out of bed. "Sora...are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Sora said, sniffing a little. "I just don't like talking about my parents."

Riku shuffled over to Sora's bedside and sat down in the chair next to him. "Then we won't talk about them." He ruffled the brunettes hair and smiled at him. "We'll talk about the dance. And I'll make you dance if I have to move your wheelchair for you, kid."

Sora laughed and smiled at Riku. "Thanks."

Roxas smiled at the two, he always enjoyed how close his two room mates were to each other. He was close to them as well, but Riku and Sora had a bond that he knew he could never match up to with either of them. "Hey guys!"

The mood in the room suddenly changed as their teacher walked through the door empty handed with a nose redder than his hair. "How's it goin'?"

Roxas laughed. "Your nose is glowing."

"I know. I have a cold. I was just coming to check on you since I missed our chess match."

Riku smirked. "So you came to get us sick as well? That's pretty low Axel, you know we get sick easy."

Axel backed up a little. "I get it I get it. Sorry, Riku." The red-head laughed and ruffled Roxas's hair. "So who'd you play with?"

"A kid named John."

"Ah so you met him. Did it shock you any?" Axel laughed. "You weren't rude were you?"

Roxas laughed back. "Yeah it surprised me at first, but no I wasn't rude. He beat me though. I think he's a close match against you, Axel."

"Nah, I doubt that, you just suck, blondie." He said, poking Roxas's nose. "Well I'm gone, just wanted to check up on...on..." Axel sneezed into his hand. "On you guys."

Roxas laughed. "Bless you. Now get out of here before you get us all sick."

"What he said." Sora laughed and waved. "Bye bye Axel."

Axel waved weakly and walked back out the door.

Riku stood up and walked to the bathroom silently and Sora gave Roxas a look. "You like him."

Roxas quirked a brow. "Who?"

"Axel." Sora giggled. "You have a crush on him, don't you?"

Roxas ignored his cheeks heating up, unsure why they were doing so anyways. "He's a guy. I don't have crushes on guys, are you crazy?"

Sora laughed weakly. "Yeah I guess I am."

Roxas looked at him curiously as Riku entered the room again and climbed onto his own bed. Sora caught a glimpse of their room mate quickly and turned back to his note pad, leaving Roxas confused and curious as to what the brunette had going through his head.

Roxas shrugged, it had been a long day already, and it was only half way over, he noted, looking at the clock on the wall that pointed to 2:45. He couldn't help but yawn however, as his body gave out. "I guess I'm going to take a nap. Wake me up when dinner gets here, will ya?"

Riku laughed. "Sure. Sleep well, princess."

Roxas scoffed and heard Sora laugh lightly. "Whatever." With that statement the blonde rolled over, turning away from Sora and looking at Riku, who was reading quietly in his bed. As he fell asleep slowly he caught sight of something odd. Riku would look past Roxas quickly, obviously glancing at Sora every once in a while, and then turn back to his book with a small smile on his face.

Once again, Roxas was left confused, but decided not to dwell on the thought any longer, and fell asleep.

* * *

When the blonde boy woke up, he was met with the horrid smell of hospital food. "Gah, this stuff is horrible." Roxas said as the woman delivering food closed the door. 

Sora laughed. "You get used to it."

"I haven't." Riku said, poking what was supposed to be mashed potatoes with his fork.

"Okay you get used to it after six years or so." The brunette laughed again.

"I don't see how it's possible." Roxas stated, but stopped what he was about to add as the door opened again.

Riku gaped. "A second serving?"

The three boys, however, were met with Axel once again, his nose a little less red, but still visibly sick. "I brought a present for the boy who won five games in a row."

Roxas looked at him oddly. "I didn't get to play you today."

"No but you beat John in the first game that you two played today. That was your fifth win." Axel grinned brightly. "So I owed you dinner." He said, pulling a styro-foam container from behind him. "Cheeseburger and fries for the chess master."

Sora and Riku gave Roxas a small envious glare. "Lucky." Sora added with a pout.

Axel laughed. "Get a betting friend and maybe you guys can get something too."

Roxas smiled. "Feel lucky yourselves guys, I'm probably going to get sick after eating this." That didn't stop the blonde from taking a huge bite of his burger, however, and smirking at his two roommates.

Axel ruffled his hair and left, muttering under his breath. "You're too cute, Roxas."

Roxas's cheeks heated up again, but he just continued to eat, Sora laughed at him and Riku just sat back and poked his own food once again.

The following day Roxas's temperature reached 100.2 and he was diagnosed with the common cold. Roxas nodded to himself. The tutor earned himself a late punch in the face.

* * *

**_Note:_**_ I hope no one was offended by the subject of John and his race. I have had this in mind since the beginning of this story as an interesting concept to plot out. I hope you all liked it. Please Review and I'll update when I can!_

_Meryl is so lucky..._


	6. They Can't Take That Away From Me

**_Note: _**_Hi guys and gals! Okay I updated after another long wait, sorry about that. anyways, so this is a pretty good chapter. I'm satisfied with it. People seemed to like the John concept last time so I was happy with that. Thanks for the reviews please don't forget to review this chapter too!_

**Chapter 6: They Can't Take That Away From Me  
**

* * *

"How ya feelin' today, Rox?" Axel said with a grin as he set up the day's lesson. "I hear you're over your cold, finally."

"Yeah. The cold that _you_ gave me. Thanks to you, I was sniffling and coughing constantly for nearly two weeks." The blonde grumbled.

"Two weeks. Jeeze, wonder why it took so long to..." He stopped as he met the look Roxas was casting his way.

Roxas glared. "I have polio, you idiot! My immune system is basically down the drain already!"

"Oh yeah...hehe, guess I forgot." Axel said, scratching the back of his head and laughing nervously. "Anyways," he stated abruptly, changing the subject immediately. "Get your English books out."

The three boys did as they were told, each reaching on their own night stands to retrieve their books, Sora a little slower than the other two.

"Doin' okay, short stuff?" Axel asked, using the nickname he'd given to the mentioned brunette.

"I'm fine. Just a little tired is all." Sora smiled weakly, giving the room a thumbs up.

"Need the lung?" The red heads voice held a deep tone of concern.

"Nah, I'm good. I can breathe fine." The brunette promised, putting his hands over his chest.

"You sure?" It was Riku who spoke up this time, looking over at his roommate worriedly.

Sora smiled again, a bit stronger this time as he looked over at his silver-haired friend. "I'm sure. I'll tell you if my breathing gets hard. Okay?"

Riku stared at him a little longer, as if he could see whether Sora was truly okay if he looked a little deeper. Finally he complied. "Okay."

"Okay, open up to page 312." And the lesson began.

Roxas listened, taking notes as Axel spoke, sometimes getting distracted by Riku's worried glances past him at the brunette on his right. He caught himself looking over at his room mate every so often as well. And if he wasn't mistaken, Axel was doing the same.

After about an hour, the group moved on and switched their English books for math. Then there was science.

"The race to the moon is on going. It is suspected that the gravity there is so much different, even a man like Lexaeus could be a light weight there." Axel laughed a bit, but stopped again. "Sora are you sure that you're okay? You're getting pale."

Sora shook his head weakly, taking short almost panting breaths as he pushed the heavy science book off of his chest.

Riku immediately climbed out of bed, making his way to Sora's as Axel walked out to find, Roxas guessed, Doctor Vexen.

Not a moment later, nor a moment too soon, the red-head returned to the room with the blonde doctor following behind, as well as a few nurses. "Please move him to the positive pressure ventilator." Vexen ordered.

The nurses nodded and stepped between Riku and Sora, taking the brunette away, bed and all, without another word. Vexen turned to leave as well before Riku stopped him. "Hey, Doc."

Icy eyes turned back to the light-haired patient as the doctor pivoted on his feet to turn towards where Sora's bed was before. "Yes, Riku?"

"This has been happening a lot lately...is Sora going to be okay?"

And with that question, realization hit once more, and Roxas remembered the fear he had when he was first diagnosed. Once again, Roxas feared death. However this time he wasn't afraid for just his own life. More so, he was fearing for Sora's life.

Sora was noticeably much worse off than Roxas and Riku. Sora was never seen walking, but, according to him, he walked with Demyx in the therapy room. He was in the iron lung on average, two times a month. He got tired from simple tasks like switching text books and, on bad days, feeding himself. Suddenly Roxas found himself contemplating the same fear Riku had. Was Sora going to be okay?

Vexen thought about his wording before he answered. "We are trying." He paused again. "Riku, polio isn't just something I can just prescribe a cure for, or heal over a series of weeks. Nor is it a disease with a definite chance of survival. We can only try our best so that he doesn't get worse."

Riku couldn't look at the doctor anymore, instead he looked at the floor, as if it were giving him the answer he'd hoped for.

"That doesn't mean, however, that Sora will die." Vexen continued. "It just means, that we are trying." And Vexen turned back towards the door.

Riku nodded sadly as Vexen left without another word. "Roxas."

The blonde looked over at his roommate. "Yeah?"

"Will you go sit with Sora for me?"

Roxas was taken aback by the sudden change in routine. "Aren't you going?"

Riku shook his head. "No I'm..." he thought for a moment, perhaps finding some excuse not to go, perhaps finding a way to word what he was doing instead. "I'm just tired."

Roxas was going to argue, but decided against it, and nodded. "I'll send him your regards."

* * *

"Hey Sora." Roxas greeted as he sat down, tired from how long he'd been standing. He knew his voice was much too solemn to be greeting the optimistic boy, but with the way the day was going already, Roxas couldn't help it.

"Roxas?" came the brunettes voice from the end of a large metal tube. There were windows along the top and there was an opening at the end where his head poked out and laid on a pillow. "Where's Riku?" There was a hint of sadness in his voice at the simple question in observation.

"He's taking a nap. He's worried about you though." This was the first time Roxas had been in that room. And, quite frankly, it was scary. There were multiple cords going from the machine to the wall and a separate machine pumping air in and out of the tube. The machine itself was thick and gray, with multiple doors and hinges. The positive pressure ventilator, or the iron lung as it's easier put, made a loud whirring sound that he and Sora had to talk over during Roxas's visit. The pumping of air from the separate machine only added to the racket. As the blonde looked into the machine, he couldn't help but feel an overwhelming sense of claustrophobia that he imagined Sora was probably used to, considering the frequency that Sora was sent to occupy that long, small tubed shaped machine.

"How are you feeling?"

Between quick breaths, Sora responded. "Tired." He paused, gathering all of his strength to elaborate. "I feel...heavy. My chest...is tired...and heavy."

Roxas nodded, trying not to show the fear on his face, but knowing all to well that he was failing. "How long do you think you'll be here this time?"

Sora took a deep breath. "I don't know." He said quickly with all of the air he just took in then repeated the action. "I never know."

Seeing the normally perky brunette in that position brought all of the hopes and dreams of getting out of the facility, almost crash to the ground. After six years of fighting the disease, it seemed Sora was making no improvement. In fact, it seemed since Roxas got there, his health was declining. The smile Sora held so easily on his lips was faded, his normal perky blush now pale, his crazy hair, fallen limp with sweat, proving that breathing was more difficult a task than it should have been.

"Don't just sit there...all quiet and...sad..." Sora said, once again breathing between statements. "Talk about something."

Roxas thought, trying to find some sort of conversational topic. "What does this thing do?"

Sora breathed deeply in order to talk in larger phrases. "Basically it pushes...air into my lungs so...I don't have to work as hard...to breathe."

Roxas nodded. "Were you scared, the first time you came here?"

Sora nodded, then laughed a little. "Wouldn't you be?"

Roxas laughed too. "I am now, and I'm not the one laying in that thing."

Sora smiled up at Roxas, visibly wanting to laugh, but he didn't have the energy or the breath to. "I'm going to sleep."

"In that?" Roxas asked, confused. How was it possible to sleep in such a big, uncomfortable thing. Once again, Roxas had to think it was because Sora was far from used to laying there in the large metal mechanism.

Sora nodded. "Night."

Roxas saluted, stealing Sora's signature wave, and left, soon grabbing a spare wheelchair from the hall and asking a nearby nurse to wheel him to his room. Once there, he realized how early it really was. The brunette had fallen asleep at 3 o'clock. Riku, however, had not.

"Welcome back." He greeted, almost coldly, but shrugged the under tone emotion away. "How is he?"

"Laughing, when he can." Roxas smiled awkwardly. "Despite his position. Sora's still Sora. Always smiling, and trying to look on the bright side."

"That's good." They shared a moment of pleasant silence, both of their minds wandering on their other room mate. "Did he say anything about me?"

Roxas thought about it. "He didn't say anything, but he seemed a little let down that you didn't get to come. As if he was used to you being there, and not me."

Riku nodded. "I'll go see him later. He's asleep now?"

"Yeah."

"I think I'll head over there before he wakes up." Riku covered himself up with the thin hospital sheets. " After I have a nap. Thanks, Roxas."

Roxas copied him, pulling the sheets over himself in his own bed. Even though it was only in the mid-afternoon, it had already been a long day, and he was tired. Suddenly a nap didn't seem like such a bad idea.

* * *

Roxas was woken up by a startling sound. Nurses were running down the halls quickly, and Vexen was leading the way. "He's in the iron lung!" One of the nurses yelled. That's when he realized it. Something was wrong with sora.

"Riku!" He looked over at Riku's bed, but he wasn't there, perhaps he'd already went to see his friend before all of this happened. Roxas climbed out of bed, letting his feet hit the cold floor harshly. He pushed off against the railing of the bed as he stood, took a step, and landed on the floor. "Dammit!" He yelled, proving that Riku's "French" as he called it, had rubbed off on him. He glared at his own legs. This was no time for them to stop working! "Riku! Demyx! Someone!" He yelled, trying to get himself off of the floor.

No one heard him though. Roxas just laid on the floor, helpless and unknowing of exactly what was going on. Everyone was running past his doorway as he reached out for help, calling out to those whose names he actually knew. Still. No one heard him. No one saw him. No one even noticed he was there.

Tears were streaming down his face and his voice was growing hoarse, but he kept calling. "Help! Someone! What's going on?!"

Suddenly, in the moment Roxas took to wipe his tears, he was being lifted onto his bed by strong arms. "Are you okay?" His saviors voice asked as Roxas opened his eyes.

"Axel." The red-head's job was over. He should have went home by now. Before he question his presence, however, Roxas had a more important question on his mind. "Where's Sora? What's wrong with him?"

Axel suddenly looked even more concerned. "Roxas...hm.." Roxas already feared the worst, but having it heard from another person and knowing that it was true, crushed him. "Sora's dead."

And with those words, Roxas cried. He cried for the loss of a friend. He cried for Riku's pain. And he cried for the fear that he held inside like every other patient. "No..." he told himself, as if denying his death would bring Sora back.

Without hesitation, Axel wrapped his arms around the blonde and held him close as he cried. He buried his face and hid his own tears, hushing Roxas like a mother would. "Roxas..."

The mentioned blonde looked up, tears causing his eyes to be swollen and red. Axel looked down at him with all seriousness on his face, which was stained with tears, leaning forward and kissing Roxas's forehead. "It's okay." And it seemed that with those words, and with that simple action...all havoc stopped.

* * *

It was nearly midnight when Roxas woke up. His dinner was on his sliding table next to his bed, cold and long forgotten. His face was flushed, his cheeks stained with tears and he was alone. He wasn't quite sure if what happened was real or not. Suddenly he realized the body in the chair next to him. Asleep. 

Roxas reached over and nudged Axel lightly in hopes of waking him up. Instead the red-head started falling sideways out of the chair. Roxas reached to catch him and before he knew it, the two of them were on the floor, Roxas almost straddling his teacher.

"Wha?" Axel said in his daze. "Roxas?"

"I'm sorry you were asleep and I wanted you to wake up because is Sora dead?!" Roxas asked, all in one breath.

"Huh? No! Sora's in the lung still." Axel helped the blonde into his bed and tucked him in cutely. "Is that what you're nightmare was about?" He asked, combing his own hair back with his fingers.

Roxas nodded. "Why are you still here?"

Axel smiled. "I was about to leave and I came to see you and you were having a nightmare. You were tossing and turning and you were crying. I didn't want to leave you alone like that."

"Alone?"

"Riku was already with Sora by then."

"Oh well...thanks."

Axel smiled. His smile however, was different than usual. It held no hint of slyness or mischief in it. In fact, Axel looked genuinely concerned for Roxas's well-being. "No problem, Rox." And he suffered the blonde's hair. "Now no more crying okay?" He added, picking up a wet rag from the washbowl a nurse had brought in earlier and wiping Roxas's cheeks.

Roxas nodded, slightly in shock at the attention he was getting from the normally cocky tutor. "You going home now?"

"Yeah." Axel put the rag down. "As long as you're okay."

"I am. Thanks." He smiled at Axel, who smiled just as brightly back.

"Goodnight, Roxas." With that, Axel planted a kiss on the blonde's forehead, just like in his dream.

Only this time, the burning on Roxas's cheeks and the lingering feeling on his forehead as Axel left the room proved that it was real.

* * *

_**Note: **Chapter 6 is completed. Anyone get scared? This was so great to write. When all the havoc was going on in his dream I actually felt like the world was chaos at the time for me, and when I wrote everything calming down, it felt the same. Maybe that's just a thing that writers do. Anyways. Please review!_

_Meryl is so lucky..._


	7. Someone to Watch Over Me

_**Note:**__I have to apologize ahead of time for the loooooooooooooooooooooooong wait on this chapter. I had MAJOR writer's block. And the bad thing is...I would get SO many ideas. I actually didn't intend for this to be the chapter that it is. But, hey, my soul made me write this, so this is what it turned out to be. I hope it's at least minimally acceptable compared to my previous chapters. I'm slightly disappointed in the beginning but I love it more as it goes on. So here is chapter 7._

* * *

**Chapter 7: Someone to Watch Over Me**

Needless to say Roxas didn't get any more sleep that night. At first it was because his mind lingered on the previous moment in which Axel's lips were on his forehead. His cheeks burned for an hour while he tried to brush off the reasoning behind his tutor's kiss. Was it to console him like a father, brother or more? Roxas couldn't figure it out, but then another question rose. Why did the lingering warmth on his forehead cause his cheeks to redden? Was it because it just because it surprised him or because he wanted more? Why would he?

A kiss from a guy, a man for that matter, should not console a worried 16-year-old boy. Not ever. No matter what the reason that the boy needs comforting. And a 16-year-old boy, should never want more from it. It was unnatural. Barely heard of, and part of a shunned lifestyle of society. A lifestyle that was so unmentioned, Roxas only knew the basics of it.

Homosexuality. It means that a person is attracted to someone of the same gender. It is wrong, unnatural, disgusting, and shameful.

This was all that Roxas was ever taught on the subject. Once again, Roxas was a normal kid, he wasn't part of an ostracized group of people. No. He liked girls. He loved girls. Axel's kiss only confused him, the blush on his cheeks was because he was embarrassed and confused, not because he slightly liked it. So obviously there was no point in thinking further on the matter.

The other thing that kept Roxas up that night, was the fear that if he fell asleep, he'd fall into another nightmare. Or worse, he'd wake up to see that he was in a nightmare. He didn't want to risk that. However, in his half-awake daze, the slightest noise would cause him to jump. When the nurse came in to bring in breakfast at 7:30–like she did every morning while Roxas was usually asleep–he almost jumped out of his skin. He even let out muffled scream of terror that sounded more like a whimper.

Around 9 am, Sora was rolled back into the room. Riku followed close behind, watching over the nurses shoulders at his room mate. When the nurses and Vexen left the room, Roxas saw that Sora was asleep. And breathing, he subconsciously noted to himself. Riku looked at ease as he climbed into his bed, then looked over at Roxas.

"Why are you still awake?"

Roxas shrugged, not wanting Riku to know about his nightmare, or the comfort he got when he woke up. "I just can't sleep."

Riku nodded. "I know what you mean."

Roxas sat in silence for a while before looking over at Sora again. "How is he?"

"He's fine." Riku responded, even though Roxas wasn't looking at him.

Roxas nodded to himself. _He's fine. He'll always be fine._ "So when did he fall asleep?"

"Around 4. Axel came by to say goodnight to us and then he fell asleep."

Roxas nodded. So after he woke up and Axel knew Roxas was okay, the red head left. So that meant that Axel only waited around...to check on Roxas? Wait, when had he started thinking about Axel again?

"Roxas?"

The mentioned blonde looked up at Sora, who was back to his ever-so-perky self. "Wha?"

"I said are you excited about the Christmas dance next month? They are having it on the 18th so that the ones that are going home for Christmas can still come."

"Oh, yeah. What do you normally do at dances? I mean, can you even dance?" Roxas meant the statement simply, not about physically moving, but about actually being able to dance and knowing how to dance well. Unfortunately when he thought about how it sounded it was too late.

Sora's smile faltered a little. "No. I can't dance...but...I like to listen to the music!" He grinned again. "Lexaeus always hooks up the intercom so that I can stay in my room and listen."

"That sounds fun too."

"I can stay and listen with you, right?" Riku said, smiling a little himself, a sight that only Sora ever saw. Roxas occasionally caught a glimpse, but it was always directed to the brunette. Briefly Roxas wondered if Axel's true smile was quite as rare. If he was special to Axel like Sora was to Riku. But that thought was quickly pushed into the corner of his mind where Roxas stored the thoughts about the red-head that made Roxas blush. In the corner Roxas planned to never return to.

Sora smiled back at Riku. "Sure. Sounds great!"

"Then it's a date." Riku laughed, Sora laughed, but Roxas was left confused and once again the same bright haired tutor stuck in his mind. No matter how hard Roxas tried to stay out of that corner of his mind, Roxas kept wandering over to it. Perhaps the kiss on his forehead shoved Roxas even closer. Roxas never even noticed it was there until the memory was added to the pile of things he never wanted to realize.

* * *

Roxas sat in his wheelchair watching the rest of the patients that resided in the facility, as they moved weakly to the records that were playing. Luxord had a lot of songs that Roxas loved. New songs. Even some from the Sinatra record that Pence had gotten him. He couldn't help but sway a little in his chair while listening to them.

Unfortunately Roxas couldn't dance. Every time he stood up and moved a little he got tired quickly and sat back down. And there was no one he knew that he could lean on and dance with. Kairi had long since gone to bed. And Namine would rather watch and draw the scenes before her. So he was left alone in sitting by the crystal punch bowl and the party favors donated by different parents and staff members of the hospital.

"Havin' fun Roxy?" Axel popped up behind him.

"A-axel!" Roxas said in surprise, then, dumbfounded, finally thought of some sort of response. If it could be called that. "What?"

Axel laughed. "I said are you having fun."

"Oh, uh...yeah kinda." Roxas said blandly. "I'm kinda bored."

"No one to dance with?"

"Yeah." He said before he thought about it. "I'd probably dance if there was someone to dance with."

"How about me?" Axel smiled at him.

"You?" Roxas asked, confused. "What about you?" Roxas laughed a little, thinking, hoping it was a joke.

However, Axel bowed, letting out his hand in a formal way. "May I have this dance?"

Nothing could explain what Roxas did next. He reached over, and grabbed the red-head's hand, was pulled up into his arms, and he danced. Axel's hands remained on Roxas's hips, and, despite the many attempts Roxas made to shrug it off as Axel holding him steady, Roxas couldn't help the change of color on his cheeks.

Axel moved Roxas's hips with is own to the music of some of Roxas's favorite bands and singers. Despite being comfortable in a man's arms, he was happy with the way the evening had turned out. He didn't even shove that thought into a corner. Instead, as the music changed to the fourth and final song that the two would dance to, he submitted to the slow sway that the music called for.

The song playing was one he knew too well. "Someone to Watch Over Me" by Frank Sinatra. Roxas, in his tired state, would have been happy to have sat and listened to the song, but he was just as comfortable leaning against Axel and moving slowly back and forth. Axel placed his chin on Roxas's head, and Roxas leaned his head on Axel's chest. Both inhaling the others scent, both loving the feel of the other's breath against their own skin.

* * *

An awkward silence filled the room. Nothing truly caused the awkwardness, it just happened. Riku sat on one side of the room, and Sora on the other, both just listening to the music that played from the dance. Lexaeus had rewired the system so that the music played over the intercom system and the others that were stuck in bed could hear the music as well.

The two sighed. The night was going by slowly and quietly besides the few unfrequent statements of whether or not they liked the song that began. Song after song they listened to, some of which they enjoyed, others they wish were never written. Finally a song came on that they both knew all too well. It was Sinatra's immediate classic hit "Someone to Watch Over Me."

"I love this song." Sora said before Riku had the chance. "It's so beautiful."

"Yeah." Riku thought for a moment, his thoughts coming out of his mouth before he could stop them. "It'd be a nice song to dance to."

Sora giggled. "Yeah, if you're into that kind of thing." He sighed after that, as if he was only trying to convince himself, then continued. "I do dream about it though..."

Riku looked at him strangely. "Dream about what?"

"Dancing." The brunette said. "I dream about dancing with someone."

The older boy raised up and turned in his bed. "Where do you dance?" His lips were talking for him.

"Here. In this room actually."

At that Riku had to laugh. "Why here?"

"Why not here?"

He shrugged. "Because in your dreams you can go anywhere. You could be on top of a mountain, or even at a school dance. Why here?"

Sora looked down and muttered, almost like he hoped his statement would go unheard. "Because here...there's someone I dance with."

There was another awkward silence that filled the air before Riku spoke again. "Who?"

"Huh?" Sora glanced over at his slightly older friend again.

"Who do you..." he was going to stop himself, but instead continued. "...dance with?"

Sora just giggled and smiled at him. "Don't you wish you knew?" He grinned, his cheeks squeezing his eyes almost completely shut.

Riku laughed nervously and turned away, hiding his face from the brunette. "You'll get to dance with that person one day."

Sora's smile softened and he sighed. "I hope so." He laughed a little, as if making himself happy about the next statement. "I hope I get to dance at all some day."

"Sora." Riku was looking straight at him now. "Optimism."

Sora looked down, his smile completely gone. "I know. And I try...but sometimes it's so hard, Riku." He sniffled a little and wiped his face with his blanket. "It's hard..."

"I know it's-"

Sora cut him off. "You only half know." He didn't sound angry, but serious. "You only half know how scared I am." Sora was sniffling and crying harder now. "I'm sent to that damn machine almost every week now. I still can't walk. I get tired from holding a book for too long. And Riku I'm scared every time I go to sleep that this is the time that I won't wake up."

Riku had somehow made his way to Sora's bed and his arms were around the crying boy's shoulders.

"You're getting better, Riku." Sora continued. "You're walking fine, you are never sent to the lung and you've been here only two years and you're getting better fast. I've been here for almost 7 years now and I'm only getting worse."

"But you're going to get better." Riku said against Sora's hair.

"How do you know?" Sora pressed his face into Riku's chest. "I don't even know that...how do you?"

"I know because...because..." Riku held him closer. "Because I'm watching over you." his voice dropped to a whisper. "I'm watching over you, and I won't let you die."

They had drifted into another moment of silence. But this time it wasn't awkward. In fact, both of them felt comfortable that way. Riku silently holding Sora in his arms, while a slow song played over the speakers. Instead of being in a hospital full of people, they were just there. In that bed, with music playing. Everything else, was nothing.

Sora sniffled and laid against Riku, then he began to sway a little with the last of the music. _"There's a somebody I'm longing to see..." _He sang lightly and held Riku slightly tighter. _"I hope he turns out to be, someone to watch over me."_

Riku smiled a little and swayed as well, taking Sora's hands and dancing a little more.

"Riku." After the mentioned boy looked down at Sora, he continued. "Thanks." His eyes were red from crying.

"For what?"

Sora didn't answer, but sang the last bit of the song. _"Won't you tell him please to put on some speed, follow my lead, oh how I need, someone to watch over me." _He laid his head back on Riku's chest with the last line, falling asleep of exhaustion, and almost whispered. _"Someone to watch over me..."_

* * *

After a few more songs, Axel escorted Roxas back to his room. Roxas smiled up at the red head. "Thanks for hanging with me."

Axel ruffled the blonde's hair. "No prob Roxy." He smirked. "You dance well."

Roxas blushed only slightly. "Thanks?" He finished the statement with an awkward laugh.

"Now I'm hoping you can get in bed by yourself. I don't have to carry you like a newly wed bride do I?" Axel laughed.

Roxas laughed as well at the image in his mind. "Yeah I can get in bed by myself."

Axel turned Roxas around at the door of the room. "Then I guess I just say goodnight at the front door, eh?" He grinned. "Thanks for the wonderful evening." He bowed, as if he were actually ending a date.

Roxas laughed only lightly, for the millionth time, trying to hide a small blush on his cheeks. "You're welcome, I guess."

"And do I get a goodnight kiss?" Axel said, smiling. Hope glittering in his brilliant green eyes.

Roxas's smile left. "What?" The question was a bit out of line to Roxas.

Axel laughed, almost sounding nervous himself. And for the first time, Roxas heard the same thing he'd heard in his own words at times. Axel said something he didn't mean to say. "Sorry, just kidding..."

Roxas laughed a little too. "Goodnight Axel."

Axel smiled softly at the blue eyed blonde sitting before him. "Goodnight Rox. It was great."

Roxas smiled back. "I had a blast."

"Me too."

The two of them sat, thinking of something else to say. Both wanting to stay and carry on a longer conversation, but neither able to think of anything to say. The silence quickly became awkward and the tension in the air thickened. "Um...goodnight Axel." Roxas said finally.

"Goodnight." And with another ruffling of Roxas's hair, Axel left. Roxas wheeled himself into his room, just as Riku was climbing into bed, his shirt slightly wet in one spot. "What happened to you?" He said, pointing.

Riku shrugged. "Missed my mouth drinking water." He laughed a little.

Roxas laughed too, climbing into his bed. He glanced over at Sora who looked like he had long-since fallen asleep. His face was more content than Roxas had seen in a while. In his sleep he looked like he was with someone he loved. Doing something that in reality he may not be able to do. Roxas had quickly realized, though, that the look of contentment on his face was much better than the look of fear Roxas had seen sometimes when Sora was awake. When he was coughing or weak. Now, Sora's face held what may have been able to be called hope.

Roxas couldn't help but smile himself. Tonight had turned out...perfect. Almost.

...almost?

* * *

_**Note:**__ So I cried with Sora. Did you? Did you love it? Hate it? Like it? Okay it? Well please please please review and tell me your thoughts. Thanks much!_

_Love!_

_Meryl is so lucky..._


	8. Strangers in the Night

_**Note: I'm sure you're all pissed that I took so long writing this chapter. Sorry 'bout that. Okay lets start this off then . . . **_

_**Oh and Beware! ...this chapter has a chance at being offensive and if it is, I'm sorry.**_

_**Chapter 8: Strangers in the Night**_

* * *

The entire facility remained as silent as the coroner walked through the long hallways to an unmentioned room. They were almost used to days like these. Days when people died. The thing that made them wonder, was the three police officers that lead the way. The three sets of navy uniforms made them question.

Who died?

Normally news spread by morning who it was and all the residents at the facility sent a silent prayer for the spirit to pass. But today no one said anything.

How?

If it was polio there wouldn't be the cops. But what else would kill one of the patients here in the facility?

It was polio that killed them. . . right?

Patients sometimes whispered to each other their own theories, but the cold looks from Vexen and some of the nurses immediately told them to shut up and return to silence. However the questions still rushed through their heads faster than they could talk or sort them out.

The kids in room 213 were no different than the other patients. They all wondered the same questions but all thoughts were not said. No questions were asked, and none were answered. Today was a day of silence. Every so often a nurse or a doctor would be forced to say something, but their response would only be a nod or a wave. A quick gesture.

Demyx walked into the room with his not-so-scientific equipment. He smiled slightly at Sora. It was his day today. As he set up his things, Roxas went against the, quite obviously unspoken, vow.

"What's going on?"

Riku and Sora were slightly taken aback by the sudden voice in the room. The meek question seemed so loud that day. Demyx looked at him cautiously, as if thinking carefully about what to say before answering. "Someone died." He stated simply.

Roxas looked at him oddly. "I know. But that doesn't explain the police investigators."

Demyx sighed and put his rags and bowl down and walked over to sit on the edge of Roxas's bed. "He. . ." The blonde thought about it, trying to think of how to say what he needed. "In today's world, people die for stupid reasons. They die because of their religion, or race, or. . .they don't ever deserve it."

The blond patient was more confused than ever now, and the confusion shown on his face.

"He didn't die of polio, Roxas. What happened is what they call a hate crime." At Roxas's blank look, he continued. "It was John."

Everything came together slowly in Roxas's head. John was dead. Hate crime. Race. Someon killed John. Someone killed him. And they did it. . .because he was black?

"No . . . " Roxas grabbed onto his bed sheets, his knuckles white and his eyes stinging. "No. No!" He was unaware of his therapist's arms that were now wrapped around him. The gesture was supposed to comfort him. "Who did it?! Who would do that?!" His voice was breaking now and the first few tears slid down his bright cheeks, red in frustration.

Roxas clawed at Demyx's back. Listening. Feeling the other blonde's attempt at calm words. "They don't know yet."

"This is so . . . stupid!" He couldn't think of better words. Roxas screamed them out, sobs causing his body to shake. "He didn't do anything!" His face was dripping with tears. His eyes were red from anger and crying. "He never hurt anyone!"

In his panic he looked around the room at his friends. First at Sora, who didn't seem very shocked by the situation, just a bit upset. Then at Riku, who seemed angry, but also not surprised.

Why wasn't this surprising? How often did this happen without him noticing?

"Roxas, calm down."

Roxas came back to earth for a moment with the help of Demyx's voice. "Calm down?" He glared at the man, his bright eyes shadowed with rage. "How the hell should I calm down?!"

Two new arms were around him now. One hooked under his legs, the other around his back. "Help me get him out of here, Demyx."

It took him a moment to recognize the cool voice. As he was placed in a wheelchair, Roxas looked up at the man, almost unable to focus past his tears to realize who it was. Finally his mind cleared and Roxas was able to name the man. For the first time since he'd come to the facility more than six months before, Roxas needed to talk to Zexion.

* * *

Zexion asked the normal questions. How do you feel, what went through your head, yadda yadda yadda. Roxas answered everything truthfully and nothing seemed very surprising to the man. However the type of character Roxas had judged him to be, it seemed nothing would surprise him very much anyways. After a few calm questions, jagged breathed answers, and strangely soothing words, Roxas was wheeled back into his room.

"Feelin' better Rox?"

Roxas was slightly comforted, if by nothing else than by the redheads voice. He nodded slightly and climbed into bed with his teacher's help. "What are we doing?" He asked, his voice low and almost emotionless.

"Shakespeare. Page 249." He handed Roxas the English book from his night stand and walked back to his own makeshift podium with a slight worried smile in Roxas's direction.

"Sora, what was Hamlet saying in act two that first mad you suspect that he was going mad?"

Sora thought for a moment and answered. "His thoughts on suicide in act one did actually . . . in this one, it just seemed like he was all too quick to believe the ghost."

Axel asked the same question to Riku, but the more the three of them talked, the less Roxas understood. His mind was whirring with multiple thoughts at once, trying to figure out, still, why someone would want to kill John. It made no sense. It made him nervous for no reason. He couldn't get his mind off of it no matter how hard he tried. His breath hitched as if he were going back to tears, but nothing came. No one saw him struggling.

He had to figure out what the foreign sound was. The sound was choking him. Was that possible? That a sound could Take over his lungs?

They were voices. Two . . . maybe three. They were right outside the door. Did anyone else hear them? They were muffled. Unclear. Slowly they distinguished themselves and the words became clear.

"He's just a nigger boy."

"Does anyone miss him?"

"I don't know. Maybe his family."

"Hah. Why should we waste our time?" The two of them laughed. It was sickening. "Better off dead than making these people sicker."

The words dropped the weight of the world on Roxas's chest, harshly. His mind fogged over again with a haze of disgust and confusion. His vision cleared more than it ever was. The two standing outside were dressed in a dark navy . . . with shiny badges.

The two who didn't care were the ones who should care the most.

He choked a bit and still no tears came out. "Roxas?" It was Sora's optimistic voice that pulled him out of his oblivious state, but only slightly.

Roxas looked at the brunette, his huge blue eyes darker . . . emptier.

Axel walked toward the blonde nervously. "Are you alright?"

"He looks kinda pale." Riku was at his side in the bed. Roxas remembered that then. He was coming down to earth slowly.

He was Roxas. 16. A polio victim. At a rehabilitation center. To his left was Riku. To his right were Sora, and the one looming over him, cautious and concerned, was Axel. The only thing that he couldn't remember was how to breathe.

Inhale. Exhale. It all seemed so difficult.

Inhale. Exhale. His lungs didn't want to move.

"Roxas!" A strong hand was shaking his shoulder. He was zoning out again.

Three police officers. None of them cared. Two roommates, realizing it would happen. No one cared. He was the only one who cared.

"Roxas! Hey!"

Inhale . . . why wasn't this working? Why was it suddenly so hard to do?

Axel's hands were wrapped around his bony arms. Vexen came through the door, rushing the three officers from the way. "Axel, what's going on?"

"Roxas . . . Can you breathe, Roxas?"

_Oh yeah . . . breathing . . . _

Inhale. His chest wouldn't move. His skin felt heavy. How did that work?

"Roxas!" Axel's voice sounded so quiet . . . what was wrong with the lights all of the sudden? Why was he so tired?

Inhale . . . inhale . . . nevermind. Just forget it . . .

* * *

His chest was no longer heavy. His diaphragm moved gently, up and down, with help. As his eyes opened, Roxas found himself in a room he'd only been in once before. However, this time he was on the other side of the visit. He was in the iron lung. His body was inside the huge metal tube, and his head lay on a pillow outside of it, his neck rested on a tight padded opening in the mechanism encasing the rest of him. It was scary enough coming into the room to see Sora in this state, and now that he was inside the machine, it was even worse.

He blinked, looking around the room in a slight panic. A man was slumped in the chair next to him asleep. Axel.

Roxas's dried lips curved into a slight smile. He was glad that he wasn't alone, even though his visitor was asleep. His lips were dried shut for the moment but he wanted to see the man sleep. He'd only seen that calm look once before, and he loved it. The red-head's lips were in a slight smile, even in his sleep, his eyes showed the small wrinkles in the corner caused by the many bright grins he expressed each day. His hair was out in a crazy fashion, spiked in every sort of way.

How long had Roxas been there? What time was it now? How long had Axel been next to him?

Finally, Roxas found his voice and pulled his lips apart. "Axel."

His tutor jumped in his seat and looked down at the blonde. "Roxas." A calm smile spread across his face. "You're awake."

Roxas nodded and took a deep breath. "How long have I been here?"

"It's 4:30 in the morning. You've been here for almost 12 hours."

"And you?"

"I've been here the whole time." He pushed the hair out of Roxas's face and smiled again. "You look better. You're not pale anymore."

Roxas smiled a little too. Demyx, Zexion, Sora and Riku had all attempted to calm him that day. And with a simple smile from his teacher everything felt okay. He was still angry, sad, and confused about what had happen the day before, but suddenly Roxas new that everything would be okay. He didn't know why, but he felt good. He felt calm.

Inhale. Exhale. Two things that only hours ago seemed so hard to do. He didn't have to remind himself anymore. The oh-so-scary machine was helping him. It was big and intimidating, but it was saving his life.

Calm down. Another thing that seemed hard. He didn't have to try anymore. The once irritating, frustrating teacher was helping him. He was annoying and hyper, but he was saving his life.

And for some reason he couldn't explain, Roxas grinned a bit more at that thought. Axel was saving his life.

"You scared me in there."

"I scared myself." Roxas whispered. "What happened?"

"Sora saw you and called the emergency button. Vexen came in and asked what happened and I tried to wake you up. Then you completely blacked out and stopped breathing so I carried you here and the nurses turned the iron lung on. I think my books are still in your room."

Roxas laughed. "Maybe you over reacted."

"No." He smiled. "I didn't over react. I reacted just fine."

Roxas smiled back. "Thanks."

"No problem." He laughed. "Just don't hit me again."

"Not unless I have to."

They both laughed again and sighed. Roxas caught his eyes lock with Axel's for a moment, and something in him jerked. It was a feeling he'd only felt a few times at school but nothing like this. It jerked so hard it almost hurt, but at the same time it felt dangerously good. What was that feeling?

Axel's sigh pulled him out of his thoughts. "I'm going to go home. I can't sleep in a chair all night."

"Don't!" His eyes widened. He didn't want to be alone. He didn't want to embarrass himself either, but it was too late to take back the hurried statement now. He just didn't want to be alone in the dark room. Even if he was asleep...he didn't want to be alone.

Axel almost frowned and sat back down in his chair. His face held more worry than annoyance, but he laughed. "I thought you always wanted me to get away from you."

Roxas gave up. He just talked, holding nothing back. "I don't want to be alone. This room is weird and eerie and I don't want to be left here all alone...please don't leave."

He gave Roxas another calm smile and nodded. "I'll stay. I don't blame you. This place is kind of scary, isn't it?" He pulled over two other chairs and made himself a makeshift bed, pulling over a blanket a nurse had left him and laid down. "Goodnight Roxas."

Roxas smiled. He didn't care that the situation was awkward for him. Axel was staying. And he was happy. "Goodnight Axel."

When Axel laid down he was too low for Roxas to see, but he was still there. Nothing was going to happen to Roxas, he shouldn't have been scared. Axel being there would make no difference. But at the same time it made all the difference.

Just in case, Roxas repeated himself. More for his own mind than for Axel. "Don't leave."

He felt like he could hear Axel's smile in his voice. "I won't. Ever."

The three words were suddenly like a lullaby to Roxas as his eyes closed. His breathing remained even.

The last two words finally pushed him into the depths of sleep he hadn't felt since he was at home. Axel's voice was calm and understanding. "I promise."

Roxas slightly wished that the calm feeling would last forever. However, he knew it wouldn't. But even in his dreams, it was Axel that made him the happiest. Axel was the one that lead the way into the world where polio didn't exist. Where people of every single color and heritage were the same. There were black presidents and there were atheist neighbors who were just as nicely portrayed as the Christians.

One can only hope for such an Eden.

* * *

_**Note: Okay so some of my little rants and ravings about society were kinda portrayed in that last bit. Umm...hope no one was offended by that word. I never use it in real life, but that guy does. **_

_**I hope you all liked this chapter. I hope it was worth the wait at least. It may not look it but I really truly worked hard. Sorry it's not one of my best. ."**_


	9. Day In Day Out

**_Chapter 9: Day In Day Out_**

Roxas was in the lung for a total of three days. Axel came to talk to him each day after he finished lessons with Sora and Riku. First he'd talk about what he'd taught then they'd talk about anything. Sometimes they'd talk about family. 

"You said you had a brother." Axel started. "What's he like?" 

Roxas thought for a second. "Cloud is...well he's Cloud." He laughed a little, taking a deep, forced breath. "He's quiet for the most part and he has a temper. He's nice though. And protective." He laughed a bit more at the end, once again needing a breath at the end. 

Axel nodded and Roxas continued. "What was your brother like?" 

The redhead was quiet and Roxas feared he'd pried. "Reno..." Axel started finally, " Reno was well...he was...there's really no way to properly describe Reno. He was wild. He'd be hyperactive and crazy and he was the king of jokes." A smile crept up on Axel's face and Roxas listened eagerly as he continued. "I swear every day he had a new joke. Even after he was put into the clinic with polio he had to make jokes. I realize now that it was probably how he was coping with the diagnosis, but at the time I just laughed. Reno was the kind of guy who would have made a joke about his..." Axel looked down a bit, tearing his eyes away from the blonde. "About his own death..." 

Roxas studied Axel's face. On it was written an odd mixture of emotions. The obvious grief stricken eyes was a large part, but also there was a joyous smile on his face at the memory. "Axel?" 

He looked at Roxas with a glossy-eyed smile. "Yeah?" 

"How old was Reno? And how old were you?" 

Axel knew that Roxas wouldn't like the answer but was truthful anyways. "He was 17. I was 10." 

Roxas nodded, thinking to himself. _He was the same age as I am almost._

"Do you think I'm going to die?" 

Axel gave him a look and Roxas knew how much the redhead despised the question. "I don't know." His answer was honest, and not what Roxas wanted to hear. "I really hope not." 

Roxas tried to laugh to cover up his shaky breath. "I hope not, too." 

Axel gave him a weak smile and Roxas smiled back. 

"Are you gay?" The words came out before Roxas could stop them or even think about them and he sat in what seemed to be a never-ending awkward silence. 

Axel looked down into the tube, surprised by the sudden question. He noticed a small blush creep up on the blonde's cheeks and he couldn't help but laugh. Finally he answered. "Yeah. I am." 

Roxas was taken aback by the answer. He'd had his suspicions about Axel before but now he knew for sure. Axel was the first gay guy that Roxas had ever met. "Oh." He didn't really have a decent response. 

"You gonna avoid me now?" 

Roxas shook his head the little bit that he could and said the most logical thing he could think of. "I don't avoid girls." 

Axel laughed and smiled. "Good point." 

Roxas smiled up at him then asked. "How did you know?" 

"That I was gay?" Roxas nodded and Axel continued. "I dunno...I just never really liked a girl in that sense and the older I got the more I became attracted to boys. By about 17 I realized that I was gay." 

"Have you ever had a boyfriend?" 

Axel laughed again. "No. Not many guys are out and open about it. Especially here in the south. Guys get killed for being like me." 

Roxas shuddered. "And you're not scared?" 

"Terrified." He answered with a grin. "But I'd rather die out and proud of who I am than unhappy and hidden at an old age. I'm not going to flaunt my sexuality, but if someone asks, I'll tell them the truth." 

Roxas smiled at him, admiring his teacher's pride. He was starting to enjoy these chats with Axel even more. It was funny how his talk about Cloud ended up with a conversation about sexuality. And that was just on the first day. The next day, Roxas decided he could ask Axel anything. 

"Have you ever kissed a guy?" 

"A few times, but the guys never came out about it and never wanted an actual relationship." 

"Have you ever had sex with one?" 

Axel laughed at the blonde's blunt questioning. "Once." 

Roxas was silent for a moment, thinking. "How?" 

"How what?" 

"How do you have sex with a guy?" 

Axel laughed hard, clutching his sides and almost falling over. After regaining his composure and wiping his eyes, he looked back at Roxas who was more confused than ever. "You really want to know?" 

Roxas considered it again and nodded. 

Axel changed his position and leaned forward, a grin plastered on his face. "Okay then." 

As Axel explained, Roxas's face changed from curious to almost horrified. The blue eyes widened and his jaw dropped as the teacher held back his laughter in order to finish his new lesson. 

"It goes where!" Roxas was in shock and the sudden outburst finally sent Axel into hysterics. He almost fell out of his chair with laughter, tears forced themselves from his eyes and his breath was getting lost in his own amusement. "Are you lying to me?" Roxas glared at his teacher who only laughed even harder. 

"N-no." Axel said, gaining a slightly more composed state. "No, I'm telling you the truth. That's how it's done." He sighed, finally calming down. "Man, your face was priceless." 

Roxas was silent as he took in all of the information. "Doesn't that hurt?" 

"It can, but if the other person is careful, it only hurts a little and sometimes not at all. At fist it just feels awkward and uncomfortable until you're used to it." 

Roxas was grateful for Axel's honesty and told him so. However, the thought of going through what the redhead had described bothered him. He didn't know why he'd thought about it so much. After all, that kind of lifestyle had no effect on him anyways. Right? Come to think of it, Roxas thought as he was trying to fall asleep that night, had he ever had a crush on a girl? What did a crush even feel like? The next day he asked Axel. 

Axel chuckled a bit. "Well it's different for different people. I'm more of a klutz around guys that I like and I'm very defensive. I guess I have a quicker temper, too." He thought about the subject for a second. "People just feel different with a person that they have a crush on. Sometimes they are more sensitive about what that person says or does. Sometimes they are more careful with their words, trying their best to make sure that person is happy at all times. One thing is for sure, you just act different around them. And you feel different around them." 

Roxas took in every word. "And does it feel good?" 

"Sometimes. Sometimes it feels horrible. Sometimes the feeling can scare you." Axel teased him. "Why? You think you have a crush?" 

Roxas was as red as Axel's hair" Nono! I don't!" He shook his head hard. "I was just wondering! Really!" 

"Sure you were." Axel chuckled. "Who you thinkin' about, Roxas?" 

"No one! Really!" Axel laughed at the blush on his face and it made Roxas's cheeks heat up even more. He was sure he'd pass out from fever. 

"Calm down, Rox. I'll stop buggin' ya." The redhead said with a laugh. "One day you gotta tell me who you're crushin' on though." 

Roxas turned away, unable to look into his teachers brilliant green eyes. "I can't wait to get out of here." He said, attempting to change the subject. 

"Me neither." Roxas glanced back at him, caught by those eyes once more. "I can't wait to see you back in your bed, instead of this creepy machine." His face changed from humorous to gentle and calm once more. Roxas could see the concern that his teacher had for him and he smiled warmly, causing Axel to smile back. "I have to get goin', Rox. I'll see you tomorrow." 

Roxas glanced at him, wanting to wave but remembering his arms were stuck in the chamber. "Bye. See you." 

Axel waved. "Goodnight." And then he was out the door, leaving Roxas to his own thoughts. 

Who was he thinking about? Did he have a crush? Did Roxas really like someone? Despite the whirring of the machine that at the moment was keeping him alive, it was too quiet. He needed something else to fill the silence. Something loud and ringing…slightly obnoxious. Roxas's eyes widened. He needed Axel.

Was that who he liked? Axel? Axel's a guy though. Things like that were taboo. He couldn't like a boy. A man. Axel's a full grown man. That's twice as wrong! Roxas didn't like him. No. He couldn't. Axel was an adult man. There was no way.

However every time Axel was around Roxas felt better. Even in the fear of being caught in the iron lung, the loud buzzing of the mechanism rushing through his head before he'd grown used to it, Axel was there and it made things better. In the middle of the night when he'd had a nightmare, Axel had stayed just to make sure he was okay and it was one of the best memories he'd had of being in the clinic. So did Roxas like him?

The blonde's mind was turning with new ideas and new reasons why he shouldn't like Axel. But just because you shouldn't like someone, doesn't mean you won't. Roxas gave up. It was too much to think about at the moment. Whether or not he liked Axel was a stupid thing to think about. He did not like Axel. Axel was his teacher. His tutor to be precise. He was perhaps a good friend and maybe a role model. Scratch that. Axel was nobody's role model.

The rhythmic sounds of the lung were getting the best of the boy. After a while of more contemplating, disregarding, and worrying, Roxas fell asleep.

The next morning Roxas woke up by being lifted from the open machine onto a stretcher. "Good morning Roxas!" The bright voice that greeted him was Demyx. "Feeling better?"

Roxas smiled sleepily and yawned with a slight whine. "Much. Thanks."

"Are you ready to go back to your room?" Roxas nodded eagerly and the older blonde laughed. "Well that's where you're headed. You'll be there in time for Axel's lesson."

Roxas smiled a little at the thought of being in his own bed again. As he was wheeled into his room Sora waved. "Welcome back Roxas!" Was Sora always that pale?

Roxas waved back. "Morning. Good morning, Riku." He said, waving to the other boy as well.

Riku smiled. "Feeling better?"

Roxas nodded as he was hoisted onto his bed and tucked in. "The nurse will be here after lessons to clean you up." Vexen said, checking a few things off on his clip board. 

"Thanks." As the two older blondes left, Roxas turned to Sora. "So what did I miss while I was out?"

Sora laughed. "Nothing much. Axel told us he's been keeping you up to date on lessons. He kept looking at your bed though. I think he missed you." He laughed again with his bright blissful smile.

Roxas laughed too. "He shouldn't have missed me, he was with me most of the time that I was in there."

"Maybe he likes you." Sora teased. Roxas turned away from him, brushing the statement off. 

"That's stupid. I'm a kid."

"Barely." It was Axel who spoke now. "Your birthday is in four months, isn't it? Almost four months exactly. You'll be almost an adult. Actually you're kind of an adult now, why shouldn't I have a crush on you Roxy-poo?"

Roxas glared but it came out more like a pout. "Because I'm not gay."

"Aha! Touché my friend. Touché." Axel laughed and sat down at the foot of the blonde's bed. "How are you feelin' today buddy?"

"Good. It's a lot quieter out here than in there."

Sora laughed. "I know what you mean. Makes your ears feel funny, huh?"

Roxas nodded. "I'm glad to be out though." He looked back at the brunette to his right. "How do you stand it in there?"

Sora shrugged. "You get used to it if you've been there as often as I have."

"So to start the lesson…"

And the reunion was over. It was back to a normal day in room 213. Axel taught, Roxas listened, taking notes when he decided he needed to. Sora pretended to take notes and doodled on his paper. Riku listened carefully, doing his homework while he listened to get a head start. At the end of the lesson a new topic started.

"So are you going to the Valentines dance. Roxas?"

"Valentine's dance?" Roxas laughed. "We have those here?"

"Of course. Every year there is a crowned Mr. And Mrs. Valentine and it's a lot of fun."

Roxas squirmed in his bed. "I don't know…isn't that something you go to with a date?"

"Not here." Riku said. "Here it's just a bunch of cripples pretending to dance."

"Riku you're so hateful!" Sora said. "That's mean!"

"But it's true." Riku laughed. "Are you going to sit in here and listen again?"

"I don't really have much of a choice. I'm too much of a cripple to even _pretend_ to dance." Sora said harshly.

"Oh come on Sora, I was just kidding." 

Sora turned away. "Sure you were."

"Are you really mad?" Riku sounded almost desperate now. "You know I was joking!"

After a little more pleading Sora giggled. " I'm not mad. I was just trying to make you feel bad."

Riku jokingly growled. "Sora."

Roxas laughed at the two. His two roommates made him feel better than the iron lung did. "So are you going, Riku?"

Riku shook his head. "I'll stay in here with Sora again. I might go get us some snacks and come back."

Roxas took the opportunity to get back at Sora. "Hey Sora, maybe he likes you."

However Sora's reaction was not the same. "No he doesn't." He almost growled it out. "Riku and I are just friends and that's all we'll ever be."

Even Riku was surprised by the action, but he agreed. "Just friends."

The subject dropped. Roxas would remember not to bring up the topic again. "Sorry."

Sora shook his head and the brilliant grin was back, plastered on his face. "It's okay. No big deal." He laughed a little. "So you're going to the dance?"

**_Note: Soooo sorry about the long long time it took for me to update. And this isn't even worth the wait I know. I'm sorry. I worked really really hard. I'm also working on another story at the same time on Deviant Art. It's an original story though and a completely different plot but you're all welcome to read it! My name on there is lucky-meryl. If you read comment. Chapter 3 of that one will be up soon._**

**__**

**_Sorry again for this horrible unworthy chapter. Laterz_**

**__**

**_Meryl is so lucky..._**


	10. My Funny Valentine

_**Note: Ah damn. It's been three months since I last updated. I'm sorryyyy. I think this chapter is worthy though so I hope you enjoy it.**_

_Chapter 10: My Funny Valentine Part 1_

"G'mornin' guys and gals…well…guys." The redhead laughed at his own jest as he set up the day's lessons. "You all slept well, I hope?"

Sora gave him a thumbs up while yawning.

"As well as someone _can_ sleep in a hospital."

"You've been here for how long, Riku?"

The fair-haired boy shrugged. "No matter how long I've been here, a hospital is still a hospital. Shitty food and stiff beds."

Sora laughed. "Ditto."

As their laughing slowed another sound arose from the middle bed. Soft, child-like snoring.

Axel chuckled as he approached the blonde's bed. "Roxy-baby, it's time for school." He said in a quiet sing-song voice.

Roxas grunted. "Neh…Saturday…"

The two roommates were trying not to laugh at their tutor leaned in to whisper in their friend's ear. "It's Tuesday, Rox, get up." He played with the ruffled hair on the blonde's head.

"Noo…" He groaned and squeezed his eyes shut. "Mom…I'm sick."

Axel smirked. "Sick, hm?"

"Mhm. Of a crazy teacher." A small half grin painted itself on the "sleeping" boy's face. "HE's weird and I think his hair is fake."

Axel laughed. "Get up, Faker."

"What? But, Mom, I'm asleep." He rolled over best that he could.

"Then I guess I have free reign to crawl into bed with my oh-so-sick baby and make him feel better, hm?"

Roxas groaned again. "I'm awake."

"I thought so."

Roxas's roommates laughed again as he turned back over and got his books together.

"So who did their homework?"

* * *

"Axel are you going to the dance on Saturday?" Sora perked up as Axel put his things away. He'd been talking non-stop about the dance for a solid week, it seemed.

"I plan on it." Axel laughed. "But first I need to find a date." He flopped down on the edge of Roxas's bed. "Whatcha say, Rox?"

Roxas laughed smugly. "Hardy har har, very funny, Axel." With that he nudged Axel with his foot. "Get off my bed."

"Aww…" The redhead pouted. "Don't turn me down like that." He poked his lip out and eyed Roxas like a kicked dog. "Please?"

Roxas backfired with a smirk. "Depends on what you're expecting from me after."

Axel was shocked at the comment and his cheeks almost matched his hair in color. He couldn't think of anything to say so instead he merely coughed, embarrassed, in response. "I uh…um…"

Sora laughed. "You made him blush, Roxas!"

Riku was almost rolling with laughter. Despite that, Roxas continued. "Sure, Axe, I'll be your date. But I don't invite _girls_ in on a first date." His grin widened.

Axel glared. "You're gonna get it Rox. You little punk." He grabbed Roxas in a headlock and rubbed his fist against his hair. "Noogie!"

"Gah! Axel let go!" After a few more twists of his fist, the redhead released the boy and laughed. "Jeeze Axel! You're going to kill me!"

The four laughed again, even Roxas. It was a good day. "So you'll dance with me, Rox?"

Roxas noticed the more serious expression on his tutor's face. "Axel…you can't be for real."

"I am."

Roxas considered it for a moment then shook his head, suddenly confused at his own thoughts. "Let me think about it."

Axel was the only one not surprised.

"You might seriously dance with Axel?" Sora glanced at him cautiously. "You're just messing with him, right?"

Roxas merely shrugged. "I have to think about it, okay?"

The redhead laughed and waved. "I'm outta here, guys. I'll talk to you about it tomorrow, okay Rox?" The three students waved as he left, Roxas agreeing to have his mind made up by the next day.

"Roxas. You can't be serious." It was Riku this time. "If someone sees you two dancing they're going to ask questions." He seemed more worried than disgusted, unlike how most people would have reacted.

"I'm just thinking okay?" Roxas said again. "I don't know. It'd be just for fun anyways."

"Boys don't dance with boys just for fun." Sora seemed almost angry as he spoke. "It's against God."

"Sora I don't think you need to go that far."

"Why not, Riku? It is against God isn't it? And God's the one that's let us live this long, right?"

"Sora…"

"What?" His voice raised slightly. "What is it, Riku? It's wrong, okay? Deal with it."

Riku glanced over at Roxas who was lost in thought and then turned back to Sora. "It may be wrong, but so are a lot of things. I'd rather die happy than live miserably."

"So are you gay?" The question sounded simple. However it was too big for Riku to answer so easily. "Are you?" Sora pressed on.

"It doesn't matter." With that the silver haired boy turned over away from his longtime friend. "You don't need to know."

Sora shut up finally, leaving Roxas in silence except for the millions of thoughts going through his head. The only part of the argument that got through his skull was the last question. _"So are you gay?"_ Sora's voice repeated it over and over in his head. Soon the voice got deeper, changing slowly. Before he realized it, the person asking the question was Axel, and then himself. _ Am I gay?_

"_I just never really liked a girl in that sense…"_ Roxas replayed the conversation in his head. _"The older I got, the more attracted I was to boys." _

Roxas thought hard. He couldn't remember ever having a real crush. He'd had schoolyard crushes on a few girls but not real ones. Most girls he did "like" even as a kid were influenced with his parents calling them girlfriends. He couldn't honestly say he liked them, more that he was paired with a girl. He found himself thinking of his friends, wondering if he'd ever thought of Hayner or Pence in the way that he shouldn't.

No. They were too close. Like brothers, really. He tried to think of other guys he knew. None really struck him as crush-worthy. Finally he just took a deep breath and tried to think of the person he was most calm around. Most comfortable with.

Red hair popped up in his head. His breath shook. He didn't really like Axel, did he?

* * *

"Hey Roxy." Axel knocked on the door before walking in, wearing a black button up, black slacks, silver suspenders, silver tie, and shining black dress shoes. The topping of the cake was the black fedora, fitted with a white feather in the side. "You ready?"

Roxas suddenly felt underdressed, wearing khakis and a blue button up his mom had sent him. None the less, he grinned. "Ready when you are, Slick." He laughed.

Axel chuckled. "Like the outfit?" While saying that, he tugged at his suspenders playfully.

Roxas nodded. "You make me look like a hobo."

"Eh…" The redhead walked over to him and helped him into the wheelchair.

"I can walk, you know." He said with a smirk.

"I know." Axel grinned darkly and whispered. "I just like the feel of you against me."

With that statement, Roxas matched his date's hair. "Haha, real funny."

Axel laughed and wheeled him out, leaving the two other roommates alone. "I can't believe he's actually going to be Axel's date. It's disgusting."

"Sora. Stop. Let him do what he wants, it's not your life." Riku was having a difficult time keeping his calm composure.

Sora went silent, still appalled that Riku would stand up for such a disgusting idea. "Are you gay, Riku?"

"I already told you it-"

"It does matter, Riku!" It was the loudest and strongest Sora sounded since the silver haired boy had met his friend, and it was still such a frail and fearful statement. "Are you?"

"Sora…why does it matter?"

"It just does." The brunette's voice was weaker now, as if he'd used all his energy in the last moment.

Riku went silent completely. "I don't know how you want me to answer you." He didn't know how to keep Sora around.

"I want the truth." Even though the truth might hurt? "Please."

* * *

Roxas laughed. His date was a horrible dancer, of that he was sure. What made the situation even more humorous was the fact that Roxas would get tired so easily that half the time he was sitting on the sidelines, watching the red head dance with himself. "You're fantastic, Axel. I've never seen moves so good." He yelled out over the music.

Axel grinned back, the classic grin that made his eyes brighten and Roxas's cheeks warm. He walked back over to the blonde and sat down next to him. "Want something to drink?"

"That'd be great, thanks." He was still chuckling at the redhead as he walked away.

"You seem to be having fun." A blonde British man sat down next to Roxas. "And your date is male."

Roxas gasped, surprised by the man's sudden entrance, then he laughed at Luxord a bit. "I'm aware. But I am having a lot of fun."

Luxord didn't seem very amused, more inquisitive instead. "Is it a friend sort of fun or more?"

Roxas shrugged, he hadn't thought about it much since the party had started. "I don't know. I just know I'm having fun."

"Alright Lux, there's only enough me for one blonde in this room so get up." As the activities director stood, Axel took his spot next to Roxas. "Thank you, darling." He teased.

Luxord looked slightly surprised at the red head's expression as he sat down. He gave Axel a look that was all too easy to read. _You're going to get yourself into trouble._

Axel grinned anyway. "You look tense, Lux! Relax! It's a party!"

"It's a dance."

"Oh it's both." Axel waved him off. "Just enjoy yourself."

Luxord sighed but said nothing as he turned away. Axel only chuckled a bit as the older blonde walked back to another part of the room. "Wanna dance again?"

This time it was a slow song. Roxas looked over at his teacher. "To this song?"

"Yeah." Axel didn't seem fazed by the song choice.

"Uhm…I'm uh…still kinda tired." At least that's what Roxas was about to say, but looking at the hopeful green eyes of his teacher changed the unspoken response. "S-sure." He started to stand but his legs were weak and he almost fell back into the seat of his wheelchair.

"Careful, Rox. Stay seated." Axel pulled the blonde's feet into the rests at the bottom of the chair.

"But how are—" Before Roxas could finish the question, the redhead was kneeling down in front of him. Axel took his hands and danced. The hand that should have been on Roxas's hip was on the arm of the chair, pushing the boy with the music. Roxas chuckled and gripped Axel's hand, placing his other on his teacher's shoulder.

Axel grinned at his date. "Having fun?"

"Lots."

He smiled brighter. "You know there's only one thing we haven't done that would make this a real date."

"What?" Roxas was smiling as brightly as the teacher in front of him.

"A kiss goodnight." He smirked.

The blonde didn't know how to respond to that, so instead he just laughed.

* * *

The two boys in left in room 213 were in an unstated moment of silence. There'd been no response to Riku's final answer. The boys seemed equally uncomfortable as "My Funny Valentine" dragged on in the next room and over the speakers of the facility. Riku looked to Sora, who seemed to be lost in thought. He turned away once more. Just as he did so, Sora looked back at him.

"Hey Riku?" and at the same time "Hey Sora?"

Silence was broken. The older boy chuckled and Sora just smiled, happy to not feel so awkward. Finally they started over. "Uh Riku…um. Have you told your parents?"

"That I'm gay?" Sora hesitated, and then nodded just as Riku began to answer. "Yeah. They weren't too happy with it, but they are dealing with it. We just keep off the subject when we're together."

"Oh."

"I suppose there are worse ways they could have handled it."

"A lot of worse ways. People get killed for that. P-people go to hell for it." And just like that, silence was back.

A few moments passed and Riku broke the silence this time. "Sora?" Sora looked up at him, his eyes large, curious, and somehow hurt. "What did you say to your parents that made them…?"

"Deny my existence?"

"Y-yeah." What kind of response was a boy supposed to have to that?

"I told them I liked someone." Sora couldn't look at Riku anymore, instead he looked at his hands, wrung together tightly with the sheets. "A guy. I told them I had feelings for a guy."

"Just like me."

Sora nodded. "Just like you. But they didn't take it so well. They raised me in a 'good Christian home' and expected me to behave that way. Mama tried to slap me, but Dr. Vexen stopped her and sent her out. She and Dad never came back."

"Those are good Christian virtues all right. If they're not perfect, shun them."

Sora nodded. "I don't want to go to hell, Riku." When the older boy glanced over at his friend he saw the tears falling onto the white linen. "I don't know how much time I have left here, and I don't want to go to hell."

"Sora…" Riku didn't notice himself climb out of the bed, but before he knew it, the brunette was wrapped in his arms.

"I don't want to die, and I don't want to go to hell." The brunette was choking on his sobs now and buried his face against his friend's neck, the tears hitting the warm skin there.

Riku didn't know how to respond. Instead, he held the boy, rubbing his back in attempt to comfort him, and let him cry on his shoulder, whispering little words. "It's okay, Sora." A little pet against brown hair. "I'm here."

Sora clung to him that way for a good while before speaking again. "I want to stay here forever."

"In this hospital?" Riku gave him a soft smile at his humor.

"No." Sora snuggled against him. "In your arms."

Riku smiled and hugged him again, burying his face in the chocolate colored hair. "Then stay here forever." He rubbed the boy's back once more, taking in his scent. The two boys sat that way until a few more songs ended. "Sora?"

The younger boy looked up at his friend, his blue eyes tainted with red edges from crying. It broke Riku inside to see him so shattered. "Who did you tell your parents that you liked?"

Sora wasn't expecting that question. It was obvious when his eyes widened and he blushed lightly. "I…I…" He thought for a good long while, and finally answered him with a weak smile. "You."

* * *

Roxas grinned as the song ended. "The lyrics were too appropriate." He said, looking up at his teacher as the redhead brushed the dust off his knees.

"Aww, am I your funny Valentine, Roxy-poo?"

Even Roxas didn't expect the words that came from his mouth. "You just might be." But even though he was surprised, he still grinned.

Axel smiled back, the shade of his hair now spreading to his cheeks and over the bridge of his nose. "A few more dances then?"

Roxas nodded. "A few more."

* * *

_**Note: Did you cwy? I did. Not kidding. Writing that part with Sora made me kinda misty. So yeah, I know it was a long ass wait and I apologize, but was it worth it? Slightly? Maybe?**_

_**Review Plz thx!**_

_**Meryl is so lucky...**_


	11. All The Things You Are

_**Note: **_** Woo! Not a three month wait! Only..uhm…a month in a half…sorry..I'm really trying, guys and gals… Hope you like it!**

_**All The Things You Are**_

"Me." It took a long while before Riku was able to respond after that. "You told them you liked…me…" His friend nodded, biting his lip and otherwise not showing a single reaction to Riku's words. "Do….do you still?" There was no response whatsoever to that. He just looked down, unable to face the silver haired boy in front of him.

"Sora…" Riku ran his hand through his own light hair and smiled. "Sora," he repeated, this time his arms moved involuntarily to wrap around the brunette who hid his face in Riku's neck. The feeling of the boy's breath against his skin caused chills to run down his spine. With nothing more to say, he buried his face into his friend's hair, taking in his scent and rubbing his back once more.

Sora pulled back and looked up at him, a few tears streaming down his cheeks and his eyes glossy and red. "Riku I—" He didn't know what he was trying to say. He couldn't really tell him, could he? He went silent again and listened to their breathing. His was audibly more struggled than Riku's. Anyone in the same room with the two could notice who was worse off. Anyone could tell that Sora only had so much time on his side.

Sora knew that all too well. "Riku." His voice was a little stronger now. He knew it had to be said. "Riku I…I …" Why was this so hard? He looked into the turquoise eyes that were taking him in, scanning him. Those eyes…he found his life in those eyes. He found his very meaning in the colorful irises and his future in the expressions that those eyes chose. If only… he could be part of those eyes and swim in their brilliance.

"Sora?"

That calm cool voice pulled the brunette out of his distraction and to another. Sora looked at the lips on the pale face. They were pale, as well. A pale pink, barely visible on such white perfect skin. "Yes." Neither boy knew what Sora had answered, but his answered was accompanied by a motion that both knew all too well, but not well enough until that moment. In a brisk but smooth move forward, Sora's lips were on Riku's.

Both boys were shocked by the action, but somehow prepared for it. With only the slightest hesitation, Riku reacted. His eyes slid closed, his hands moved down Sora's back to pull him closer and he explored with all the things his lips could do. They could move, they could savor, and they could part. Sora's could do the same. Their bodies moved on their own, lying down on the bed, one set of lips never left the other.

For a while, the two just lied next to each other, their lips barely touching. The moment was long awaited and it could easily end too soon. Riku was the first to speak, whispering against Sora's lips. "I love you." He kissed him again, as if to emphasize that fact. "I've loved you for too long."

Sora smiled into the next kiss and returned the motion, softly. "I love you too." He could feel his face get hot, and his heart pumping as fast as it could. "You're worth hell and back."

The two remained in silence after that, each savoring the presence of the other, knowing that forever was not a long enough time to be together, but they'd at least settle for that moment.

* * *

Roxas was too tired to move. He'd dance through every song that came on at least with his arms. During the slow songs Axel would hold the smaller boy up. Neither minded the closeness. In fact, they enjoyed it. The other's company was more than enough entertainment even if the party hadn't existed. Roxas wasn't quite sure what this knew contented feeling built up inside was, but he liked it. He liked being with the redhead. He liked Axel.

The blonde smiled at that thought. He liked Axel. Then he frowned. He liked Axel.

"What's wrong?" The tutor was worried now. "Can you breathe okay? Do you need to go back?" Roxas shook his head. "You can breathe or you can't?"

"I can breathe fine." It was a lie. His breath was stuck in his throat, but not in a sense

that he had to go back to the lung.

"Need to sit down?" Roxas nodded just as the man set him down in his wheelchair. "I'll go get you something to drink, okay? Want something to eat?"

The blonde nodded blankly and was grateful for the moment he had alone. He liked Axel. More than in a student teacher way. More than in a friendly way. He really liked Axel. Roxas almost mouthed his thoughts. _How the hell did this happen?_ He replayed the night's events in his head, every moment that had occurred. Every glance that the redhead shot his way was something that almost threatened to cause goosebumps. Every memory of the teacher's voice rang in his head.

By the time Axel returned—carrying more food than the two of them together could eat—Roxas had realized it fully. He liked Axel. He liked a man. And he really didn't mind it all too much. In fact, when the thought finally hit him that he was indeed a gay teenager, he smiled. It was as if the realization had explained a few things he'd wondered and he was okay with it.

"Feeling better?"

Roxas smiled brightly. "I'm great." And the smile that greeted him was extravagant.

"Are you danced out?" Axel sat down next to the blonde, leaning on him slightly.

"Not quite. But I could use a little break." Roxas glanced over at him, a question forming once more in his head. "Can I ask you something?"

Axel nodded. "Shoot."

"What did your parents say when they found out?"

At first Axel didn't know what he was talking about. He was quiet for a moment before he spoke. "Oh. That I'm gay?" When Roxas nodded, he continued. "They were pretty mad. Specially my dad. He threatened to kick me out of the house. My mother calmed him down but it took a bit." Roxas nodded again, taking in the information. "Now they normally avoid the subject but every once in a while my mom will ask how my second life is and I pretty much understand. She really just wants me to be happy, you know?"

"That's good. I mean my parents would probably be okay with it if I was but I have met some parents who believe gay people should be burned at the stake or something."

Axel laughed. "Yeah I've met a lot of parents like that. They are more common down here than where you're from, I'm sure." He thought about his wording a bit more before continuing. "Telling parents is something you can't really jump into though. With any person in this lifestyle it has to be something you plan and brace yourself for. I thought my parents would shun or banish me and was taken by surprise. Some people think their parents would be okay but they go off the wall."

Roxas took in every word that the redhead spoke. Telling his own parents might be difficult if Axel was right, but still, he couldn't see his parents disowning him for something like that. They had always been pretty accepting to a lot of things. "How old were you when you finally told them?"

He had to think about that one. "Well…I kind of hinted to it when I was 18 but the reaction was bad so I said I was joking. When I finally sat them down and told them it was about a year ago. I was 21."

The blonde nodded and yawned without noticing.

"Sleepy?"

"Mhm…I guess I didn't notice. Everyone's gone but us and Luxord."

Axel laughed. "Time flies." He stood and stretched behind the boy and started pushing him to his room. "We should hang out again."

"Yeah…how about tomorrow?"

"Isn't it parent day tomorrow?"

"Yeah but they can't make it. Expensive. They're coming for Easter." Axel nodded at that with a small "ah." "So tomorrow then?"

"Sure. Let's leave the facility. I'll take you to eat. You need a good look around outside of this drab place."

Roxas laughed. "Alright. See you then."

Axel pushed the door open in front of them and pushed Roxas inside. He looked over to their left, seeing the two boys asleep in Sora's bed. "Cute." He chuckled a bit.

"Are you going to leave them like that?"

The teacher shook his head. "Nah. They don't need any trouble in the morning." After helping Roxas into the bed, Axel walked over to Riku and picked him up. "This kid sleeps like a rock." Both laughed as the silver haired boy was carried to his respective bed. "I'm glad things worked out."

"Me too. I guess that's why Sora would be so…"

"Homophobic?"

Roxas nodded. "He didn't want to be himself…think that's why his parents--" Axel nodded before he finished. "Oh…"

"Go on to sleep, Rox. I'll see you tomorrow."

* * *

Roxas didn't realize until later that his outing with Axel would be the first time that'd he'd seen the town outside the facility. In fact the only view he'd gotten of the great outdoors in the past nine months was the courtyard where he and Axel sometimes played chess. When he did realize this fact, he was even more excited about the trip. He dressed himself, he bathed himself, and he waited in his chair until Axel came to get him.

"Ready early, aren't ya?" Axel chuckled as he walked in the door. Roxas only smiled in response. "I guess we should get going then, huh?"

"Yeah. Lets get out of here." He smiled over at Sora and Riku. "Let these two hang out alone for a bit."

Riku ignored the comment but smiled a bit when his roommate blushed and got out of bed when the blonde left the room. The red was still on his friend's cheeks when he got to the bed. "Sora?"

Sora looked up when his name was stated, locking eyes with the boy next to him. "What are we?" He was looking for the answer in the expression Riku held.

"What do you want us to be?" The fair-haired boy was climbing into the bed so he could be closer. "Do you want us to be together?"

Sora didn't know how to answer. Of course he wanted to be with Riku, but with what cost? He wanted Riku to be his, and he wanted to be Riku's, but what did that mean for their lives? Instead of responding, the brunette stayed silent.

"Sora?"

"I don't know." He answered truthfully. Brown hair laid itself against the older boy's shoulder and Riku held him close. "I just want to be here. Like this." Sora was letting himself talk. He didn't think, he just spoke. "I want to stay right here like this every day. And be happy."

Riku kissed his forehead. "Then be happy, and I'll be happy with you." Sora glanced up at him, big blue eyes questioning the statement and then relaxing. Riku rubbed his hand along Sora's back. "Is that what you want?"

Sora nodded and hid his face against Riku's chest. He whispered something barely audible, but Riku was glad he heard it. "I want you."

"You can have me." Riku felt the boy sigh contentedly and relax against him. He placed his chin on Sora's head and held him that way, happy to be able to be that way with him. Happy to be with him at all.

The younger boy clung when Riku moved back a bit. He felt the warm laugh that came from Riku's chest and looked up at him.

Riku smiled softly and placed his finger on the younger boy's chin. Those large dark blue eyes are what caught him. Slowly Riku moved forward, taking Sora's lips carefully. He could get lost in the feeling of the younger boy's lips against his. The soft pink skin there had a taste—a sensation—that could never be accurately described. Nothing about the boy could be justifiably described. No word was good enough.

He felt as Sora's arm wrapped around his chest, and welcomed it, pressing against the boy and letting his hands press against Sora's lower back.

"Ahem."

Moment over.

* * *

"So where are we going?" Roxas looked up at the redhead behind him, a smile plastered on his face.

Axel grinned back. "I was thinking we'd go grab a bite to eat and then go to the park. There's a great diner around the corner and the park is great in the winter. Tell me if you get too cold though, alright?" The blonde laughed and nodded.

The two of them stopped by a bright red car. "Th-this…is yours?" Roxas could barely find words. At Axel's grin he reached out to touch the automobile. "What kind is it? How old is it?"

Axel chuckled. "It's a 54 corvette. I'd take the top down if it was warmer."

Roxas stood from his chair and walked steadily around the car, his hands playing along the smooth metal. He was astounded. He memorized every curve and edge to the machine as his fingers danced across the surface. "It's so cool…"

Picking Roxas up, Axel laughed. "It's cool on the inside too." He smiled at the boy in his arms and helped him into the car. "So." He started, getting in on his own side. "Hungry?"

Roxas laughed this time as his stomach growled. "Yeah. You?"

Axel poked his own stomach. "Starving, can't you tell?" When the blonde next to him laughed, he started the car. He watched Roxas's face light up at the rumbling of the engine and smiled. "You like cars, huh?"

Roxas nodded. "I have always wanted a really great car. I loved the one I had before my parents had to sell it."

"What kind was it?"

"Chevy sedan." Roxas smiled softly, remembering the black and silver.

"Nice car." Axel moved his hand to the radio and allowed the almost awkward silence to be broken.

_--that lights a star  
The dearest things that I know are what you are_

"This is Sinatra right?" Axel looked over at Roxas. "Your favorite singer?"

Roxas laughed and smiled. "Yeah. All the Things You Are."

_Some day my happy arms will hold you  
And someday I'll know that moment divine  
When all the things you are, are mine_

A soft boyish voice joined in and Axel smiled to himself as he listened.

_You are the angel-glow that lights a star  
The dearest things that I know are what you are_

_Someday my happy arms will hold you  
And someday I'll know that moment divine  
When all the things you are, are mine_

"You have a great voice, Rox."

A blush grew on the blonde's cheeks. "Thanks…" Another moment of silence passed.

"You were…" Axel started, trying to bring up a new conversation. "In a choir, right? You said that?"

Roxas nodded. "I joined in church and then at the school."

"I bet you're one of their strong voices, huh?" He laughed. "I'm gonna tell Luxord to make you sing one day."

"No! Axel!"

"Nope nope. You're not getting out of this, Rox." He grinned at the blonde as he parked the car. "Lets get some food."

Roxas huffed, irritated, but didn't argue. He got himself out of the car and walked with Axel. "We'll use the chair later."

Axel nodded, happy to see the blonde walking with such ease. "So what would you call this outing, Rox?"

The blonde eased up as he sat down across from his teacher and smiled. "I don't know. Right now it's just a fun outing with a friend. I guess when you drop me off we'll know for sure, hm?"

"Getting a bit big-headed there, Blondie." Roxas only grinned at the comment. Axel smiled back and ruffled the blonde head of hair. "I'm glad to see you opening up."

* * *

Blonde hair shook with laughter as the man sat down next to Sora's bed. "How long have you two been together?"

Both boys were silent for a good while before Riku spoke up. "About a day…" They were scared. Who knew what kind of trouble this man could be. There were so many people that he could tell that would endanger their lives if he wanted to. "Since the dance last night…"

"You're not going to tell, are you?" Sora's frail voice shook at his own words.

There was a sly smile before the man spoke again. "Tell who, exactly?"

"I don't know…people." Anyone near him could feel the fear that Sora did when he spoke.

The smile softened. "Oh. No. I'm not." Demyx patted the brunette on the head. "I'd never get you hurt, Sora." He chuckled once more. "It was just surprising to see you two finally together as all. Zexion and I—"

"Zexion knows?" It was Riku this time.

"It's obvious to those who are similar to you. Axel probably knows, too. Anyways Zex and I were wondering when Sora would tell him." Demyx's smile broadened. "I'm glad you're open about it now. At least to some." He grinned at Riku.

Sora's fearful glance broke and he smiled. "Thanks." With that statement, Sora let his fingers mesh against Riku's hand. Riku squeezed a little and smiled, happy for the warm connection between them.

"I was just wondering if Riku wanted to do his therapy tomorrow instead of the next day." Demyx ruffled the silver hair as he spoke and stood. "I'm gonna go ahead and say yes and I'll leave you two alone, alright? I won't say a word…but can I tell Zex?"

Riku laughed and looked at Sora. "I think it's fine." Sora nodded in response and Riku continued. "Go ahead. You know who not to tell." Riku and Demyx shared a smile as the blonde turned.

Demyx waved over his shoulder as he left the two alone. "That was a trip." Riku chuckled. "Don't you think?"

Sora nodded and grinned and squeezed a little closer to Riku. "I love you." His voice was a whisper and he yawned lightly.

Riku smiled down and kiss the brunette's head. "I love you, too." He put his arm around the smaller boy and covered them up. "Get some sleep. I'll still be here." Another nod against his chest and Riku felt his friend's breathing soften. His hand idly ran along Sora's back, comforting he who didn't need to be comforted. The silver haired boy smiled softly to himself, loving the boy in his arms. Loving everything from the wild brown hair to the hidden blue eyes. His eyes softened at that thought and he kissed the boy's forehead once more. "I love you, Sora." _I love all that you are._

* * *

_**Note:**_** I kinda hated some parts of this chapter. The parts that were the best are the parts that wrote themselves. Such as that first section between Sora and Riku. The next chapter should have more AkuRoku goin' on. I hope you didn't mind the mentioned Zemyx-ish moment. I hope that this update is a little better than the big gap I left between chapters 9 and 10. **

**Next week I'll be heading to Atlanta to a Con and I hope to see a reader or two there. Love for Axel!**

**--Meryl is so lucky…**


	12. Embraceable You

_**Embraceable You**_

"Axel…" Hands were everywhere, roaming over his body in ways Roxas never thought were possible. His small hands were meshed into a mess of red hair, urging him on. "Axe…" Lips. On his neck, on his lips anywhere else that the owner seemed proper. The lips distracted him. They pleased him. So Roxas pulled the redhead closer to his body, offering it to him. _More…more…_ He couldn't find words for anything beyond his own desires. He couldn't think beyond those urges.

There was an unfamiliar tightness in his throat as Roxas let out a strangled moan, overwhelmed by the feelings inside him. Hands were lower on his body now. Those hands. Those warm pale hands skimming over more sensitive areas. He could feel all things and see nothing. He knew the hair tangled around his fingers was red. He knew the eyes scanning his form were green. He knew the man on top of him was Axel. He didn't need to see.

A blonde head rolled back and another cry escaped; a gentle name let out from young pink lips. The lips moved lower, where the hands were before. "Lower…lower…" It wasn't Roxas's mind that spoke. It was some primal urge inside him, leading those lips where they went. He'd never felt like this before. He'd never felt this need to be closer, nor this pressure building up all over his body. The sensation was pouring from his body through the pores in his skin until finally; at long last, there was release. There was a cry of a man's name and a climax that had the blonde's back arched off the bed.

"Roxas?"

* * *

Roxas blinked and finally opened his eyes. Riku was staring at him. "Uh…" He couldn't think of anything to say. He could feel the effects of his dream dripping onto his thigh. "W-what…is it?"

Riku laughed. "You had a bad dream." With a smirk he added, "A very _very _ bad dream."

The blonde's face became a dark shade of red. He looked over at Sora, glad that the brunette was a heavy sleeper. "Y-you won't…say anything?" He turned back to the silver haired boy with pleading blue eyes.

"No. It never happened." Riku laughed again and turned to the book in his lap.

" I-I'm gonna…go to the bathroom…" With that said, Roxas slid his feet out from the blankets and let them hit the cold tiled floor.

"You do that." Riku chuckled as the blonde stumbled into the restroom with a few extra clothes.

Roxas set up his bath and lied in the tub with his head rolled back against the wall. He didn't know what had happened. He'd never had a dream like that, nor had he woken up that way before. He wasn't used to the feeling that washed over him. He thought back on everything that happened in his dream and was surprised when that tense feeling washed over him again.

He let out a deep breath, the movement allowing his chest to sink under the warm water a little more. For some reason, Roxas had a feeling that things were only going to get worse, and more embarrassing from that point on.

* * *

"So how's Mom?" It was the monthly visitation day, and this time Cloud was able to visit. Their trips were becoming sparser lately; at first it was every month, then every other month. By that time it was whenever they were able to afford it and only one person at a time.

"Mom's doing fine. She's worried about you. She'll be glad to know how well you're doing." Roxas nodded and Cloud continued. "So what's life like here?"

"Kind of like living at a boarding school with extra special healthcare. I have a lot of friends here and it's actually bearable. The food sucks."

Cloud laughed. "I'm glad it's not hell to you anymore." With that statement he ruffled the younger blonde's hair. "I bet you're still ready to go home though, huh?"

"Kind of." When Cloud gave him a look, he continued. "I am ready to get better, and to be with you guys again, but I don't want to leave when I've made such good friends, you know?"

Cloud nodded. "I know what you mean." The older blonde propped his feet on the bed, leaning back in the chair he was sitting in. "Have you met any girls while you've been down here?"

The little brother laughed nervously and scratched the back of his head. _I don't think I should tell him just yet…_ "Nah..no not really."

"Not really?" Cloud laughed. "It's a yes or a no, Rox."

Roxas coughed. "No. No girls. Not in that sense." He laughed nervously and straightened out the sheets over his lap. "Just a few friends. Nothing much."

"Ah it's for the best I guess. I mean when you come home you don't want a girl waiting for you here." Roxas hadn't thought about that. "Of course you're going to be seventeen in a few months too. So it wouldn't be that long until you were an adult and able to come down here to get her."

He hadn't thought about that, either. He'd been in the hospital for almost a year and yet it only seemed like a few weeks. On top of that, he wasn't quite sure he wanted to go home yet. He liked it where he was. Despite the bad food, weird friends, and uncomfortable sleeping arrangements, the Roosevelt Warm Springs Institute of Rehabilitation had grown on him.

"Rox?"

"Huh?" The hand on his leg nudged him to attention from his thoughts. "What is it?"

Cloud looked nervous for a second. "I asked how your studies were going."

"Oh sorry. They're going great. I have a really good teacher." Who I happen to have a crush on. "And he's really nice." And handsome and caring. "He keeps me pretty up to date with where we are in school. Olette sends me a few things from class that she does just so we can compare where we are."

"So you're keeping in contact with your other friends?"

Roxas nodded in response. "I didn't plan on forgetting about them."

"Well yeah. That's good. So you heard about—"

"Hayner and Olette's engagement? Yeah. Olette called and told me. Made everyone up here think it was a major emergency and woke me up at almost midnight to tell me. " It felt weird talking about his friends as if they were adults already. It wasn't unheard of for a seventeen and sixteen year old to be engaged through high school, but it was still weird for him. "What about you, meet any girls in college?"

"Nah." Cloud shrugged. "You know me. I have my close-knit circle of friends that I don't normally reach outside of. Leon, Cid, Aerith, Tifa, and Yuffie and that's probably about it."

"Yeah. Mom died a little when you and Tifa didn't hit it off as well as you'd thought. She had your wedding planned out already."

Cloud laughed then sighed. "Yeah I don't really see myself married in the future."

"Why's that?" Roxas gave his brother an odd look. "Who's to say a girl won't walk into your life and change that?"

"Well I think I'm—" His statement was interrupted when the two blondes looked up and saw the lights flickering above them. "That normally happen?"

"Ah…no…" Roxas stared for a moment longer before the lights went out completely. "Cloud?" He tried not to sound nervous.

"I'm still here." The older boy patted the bed for reassurance.

A few frantic orders were given down the hall. Roxas couldn't understand most of them but he knew the voice had to be Dr. Vexen's. The order that run loudest was "Get them out of the lung!" A few lights flew by his room and the blonde eyed the oil lamps almost enviously from his darkened room.

It seemed like days went by in darkness. Sora was brought back in with an oil lamp guiding the nurse who was wheeling him. Riku walked in behind them with help from crutches. Cloud stayed next to him. "What's going on?"

"It's a storm." Sora didn't seem alarmed at all by what was going on. "It's normal this time of year. There will probably be a few tornadoes too."

"T-tornadoes?"

"You're safe in here." Riku glanced over at him. "My parents live nearby so they went home, your brother will probably have a hard time trying to find a bus willing to leave town right now though."

"So what am I going to do?" It was Cloud speaking this time. "I can't just stay here can I?"

"It's not like they're going to kick you out on the streets." Sora laughed. "They'll probably let you sleep in a spare bed in the faculty rooms."

"And the bus company will most likely postpone your trip. Or refund your money if you call them."

During the ruckus, no one seemed to noticed as a petite blonde curled up in his bed. He stared up at the dead lights, willing them to turn back on. He'd never been afraid of the dark before, but storms were a different subject. He'd hated them since he was little. They were always so loud and gloomy, and he was a very quiet person. Thunder didn't suit him.

"I'm gonna go see what's going on." Cloud patted Roxas's leg as he stood up. "You okay?"

Roxas nodded shakily then watched his brother leave the room.

"You're not scared are you Rox?"

The blonde glanced over at Riku. "I don't like storms." He said, simply. "I just don't like loud things."

"Ah." Riku nodded, understanding completely. "It's not that bad. These things happen all the time during March. The worst that's ever happened is a tree fell down next door. It's fine."

Another nod from the blonde before Roxas continued. "Thanks. It'll be over soon right?"

"Probably not." Sora piped in. "Sometimes storms will be scattered for a few days." Roxas cringed at that. "But it helps me sleep. The rain and the thunder."

"Same here."

Roxas shuddered. "Not me."

"Roxy's scared of storms?" A bright red head danced into the room. He sat down in Cloud's chair and patted Roxas's shoulder. "It's alright. Axel's here now!"

Roxas couldn't help but chuckle at the tutor's antics. "Thanks? I guess…"

Axel laughed as well, smiling brightly. "Your brother is putting his stuff in a room. He said he's going to take a nap before he comes back in here." Roxas nodded. "You look just like him except—"

"Smaller?"

"I was going to say more compact but that works."

Riku laughed at that as Roxas gave a slight glare. He hated when people pointed out his stature. Sora had to continue with the joke, though. "Yeah! Roxas is travel sized!"

"I'd put him in my back pocket if I could." Axel laughed at his own joke.

"Oh shut up."

* * *

Sora was right. The storm lasted for days. Three days to be exact. Cloud's bus ride was postponed until the following Friday so even after the rain slowed down, he stayed with Roxas.

"Mom still freaking out?"

Cloud took his seat once again after most likely the third call that day from his mother. "Yeah."

Roxas laughed and relaxed in bed. He was getting used to the rain. Not the thunder and the lightening, of course, but the rain. Sora was right, it was calming. The only thing that the day lacked was the equally calming scent of the rain. The humidity was certainly hitting him well enough.

"Poof….poof." The too-familiar redhead patted Roxas's hair as he came in. "Poooooof."

"I get it, my hair is poofy."

"It's funny! Your hair is normally primped and perfect and today it's all a fuzzy wad! Why isn't your brother's like that?"

"Because he uses too much hair gel. You could probably kill yourself on one of his spikes."

Cloud smirked and chuckled a bit in response. Then he dropped the expression and felt of his hair, as if actually wondering it for himself.

With a laugh, Axel fell into a chair. "Your brother's hilarious Rox. What's his name?"

"Axel!" Sora was laughing hysterically by then. "He's been here for almost a week and you don't know his name?!"

Riku laughed a bit as well as Roxas responded. "His name is Cloud, dipstick."

"Cloud as in…what's pouring water on us?"

The mentioned man replied with a grumble. "Yes. Like a cloud. Cloud."

Axel was rolling with laughter. "Cloud! Was your mom totally out of it when you were named?!"

Roxas coughed. "Actually…"

"She passed out after she gave birth to me. They tried to wake her up to ask a name and she said 'Pretty Cloud.' It stuck."

The situation only became more hilarious because of the seriousness of the conversation on Cloud's part.

"Oh goodness, I think that's the best laugh I've had in a while." Axel was clutching his sides. "What a name. I tell ya."

"And being named after a car part is any better?"

"Actually Axel's not my real name. I just don't really like Alex too much and Alexander is too fancy. So I flip flopped the letters around and went by Axel starting in middle school."

"Why didn't you go by Xander?"

"Shut up Roxas."

The boys on either side of Roxas's bed were laughing still. Riku covered his mouth as he laughed, as if he were ashamed of his smile. Sora laughed openly and loudly, then coughed as he calmed down. Roxas had a grin plastered on his face. He truly couldn't imagine leaving that place. Even though he'd been there less than a year, it was almost as much of a home to him as…well as home was. All the way across the country, but still so familiar to him.

* * *

That night when he fell asleep he listened to the rain. Almost like a nocturne to him, perfectly meshing with the easy breathing of his roommates. "Roxas."

The blonde didn't open his eyes to the familiar voice, but he welcomed the owner with a smile. A flash lit up the room as lightening struck outside and Roxas could vaguely catch the light even through his eyelids. He cringed, knowing the sound to come after.

A hand touched his shoulder just as the first crack sounded. "I'm here, Roxas." He could hear the warm voice, feel his hand, but refused to open his eyes. "I'm here…" the warm voice was closer to his ear now. Hot breath. The hand slid down his side, resting on the blonde's hip. "Roxas."

Roxas moved back against the warm body as it joined him in the small bed. He reached behind him and tangled his hand in that familiar hair. The warm hand went around to Roxas's stomach and rested there. The heat filled him. The fire moved in his veins quickly. He felt it building up behind his eyelids.

"Don't cry." That's what that feeling was. The warmth moving down his cheeks, stinging his eyes then cooling on his face. "Are you okay? Please don't cry."

"I don't want to go." His mouth was moving before he thought. The words were forming on their own, just as his body moved. He faced the man in bed with him and opened his eyes. "Don't let me go."

"Never Roxas." Warm lips. On his forehead, then nose, cheek, chin, lips. "I'll never let you go." Down his neck, tracing what seemed to be a familiar path.

"Axel…" the lips moved back up. Hot tongue, right behind his ear. A nibble that sent a shudder down his spine. No, it was deeper than that. Deeper than in his veins. The feeling went into an existence within him that he didn't have a name for. All of the blood in his body moved south. The lips moved back to his again and the hand moved farther down.

"Roxas…" Another kiss, another nip on his lip. Another warm chill sent straight to his core.

"More…" the words seemed so familiar on his lips. The feeling of this man wrapped around him in such away seemed so right. "Axel more…"

"Why Roxas...?"

Blue eyes opened, locking with green. "Axel…"

"Why?"

Roxas didn't have an answer. He kissed the man again but was not kissed back. "Axel please…" He whispered the plea, everything inside him begging louder than his voice could allow. "Axel…"

"Why Roxas? Tell me why…please." He watched those lips move and could only crave that they be back against his skin. "I need to know."

A gasp let out as the warm hand met him. "A-axel…"

"Tell me please." Those lips were so close. He could feel them. He could almost taste them. He _wanted _ to taste them. "Roxas…"

No words came to mind besides his name. Only pleas for more and cries for the man's touch. An answer seemed to be inexistent.

"Why do you want more?" He moved his hands as slow as the words left his mouth. "Why do you want to stay?" Finally those lips touched him again. They moved in small kisses up his jaw to his ear. He whispered against Roxas's ear. "Why do you want me?"

Smaller hands moved up the man's back, clinging to bare skin. "Axel I…." His throat seemed so narrow now.

"What is it?" Those lips closed around his ear lobe and sucked lightly.

"I…I…" His voice was lost in the sensation.

"Roxas…"

"I love you."

Roxas blinked and looked around the room. A dream. It was all a dream again. And that dream once again left him in need of a bath. The blonde sighed and buried his face in his hands. The situation was getting too confusing for him. Love…he'd really dreamed he said that. He never thought that word about anyone before besides his own family.

Love. Love… _I love Axel._ It sounded strange even in his head. _ I love Axel…_ but it could grow on him…what was he thinking? Love?!

"Roxas?"

The blonde looked up at his brother in the doorway. "Yeah?"

"I need to talk to you about something." Cloud sat down next to him. Only then did he realize that Sora and Riku were both gone to therapy and psych session for the week. "Something important."

"Yeah..?" He didn't like how this was sounding already.

"Well…I…" Cloud had a thoughtful look on his face, which didn't happen often. "Last night when you were asleep…who were you talking to?"

* * *

**_Note: Okay not entirely happy with how this chapter turned out, but not thoroughly disgusted with it either. I'm still working on how I can get all chapters to write themself. I know parts of this one did and didn't. I hate having to force things out but sometimes it gets really hard!! Okay so I'll try to update sooner but it gets haarrrdd. Especially when my old average was about 1500 words per chapter and now I've got it up to 3500 words per chapter. Now it takes a long time in order to get everything to mesh right. Sorry again for the long wait! _**

**_Meryl is so lucky...  
_**


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